Legends of Arcadian Skies
by Dearing
Summary: Three years after the Valuan Nasr war, trouble starts to arise once more, and only Vyse Dyne, along with his friends Aika, Fina and a whole heap of others, old and new, can stop it. Soa my style! Discontinued for now, see Author’s Note.
1. A mission from the Elders

Yo! it's me, Dearing.  
After much badgering from a certain someone (You know who you are! lol!) I've decided to (finally) start posting LoAS.

But first a few things.

First off, as always DIsclaimer.  
As much as I'd like too, I don't own most of thecharacters, ships, places etc. Skies of Arcadia belongsto Sega and Overworks. I do however, own certain characters, ships, places, etc, which will reveal themselves as the story progresses.

Second: Tales of the Valuan-Nasr War. I suggestyou readmy currently most reviewed fic before this one. It gives a lot of back storyto some of the characters,mostly about my original characters.

Third, this story takes a lot of time to warm up, and i'm not even finished yet. It has it's ups and downs, seeing I keep getting writers block. Also, beacause it's not finished, I'm only going to update one chapter a month.

Alright, that's all i can think of at the moment, please review, but any and all flames will be tossed on my fire and warm up my boiler.

kay, see ya later.

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**PROLOGUE**

**A MISSION FROM THE ELDERS**

The girl stood before the elders, waiting for them to tell her mission.

"Young one," said Elder Prime, "Do you know why we have called you hear?"

"I believe so." the girl said, bowing to the Elder, "You want me to find and collect the six moon crystals and bring them back here,"

"You are correct young one," the Elder said, smiling kindly, "We are sending you to finish the mission Ramirez started."

"Your mission is simple," Said Elder Halos "You must travel to each continent under the six moons and retrieve each moon Crystal before the Valuan Empire does. Who knows what kind of destruction they could inflict if they were in control of the Gigas."

"I understand Elders," The girl said, still bowing to the floor.

"Remember Young one," Said Elder Prime Sternly, "Do not allow trust with anyone, you must do this on your own, and if possible, find out the fate of Ramirez."

The girl stood up and faced Elder Prime.

"As you wish Elders," she said quietly, "I will not fail you."

(…)

Three days later the girl was flying her ship across Deep Sky, heading towards the Nasr Kingdom. She had a feeling that she was being followed, but by who she did not know.

The light of the Silver Moon lit up the cloudless sky as she travelled towards Nasrad in the hope of finding her first crystal.

It was then that she heard it.

Or rather felt it.

The hard droning thud-thud-thud-thud of an engine of an Imperial Warship.

She turned around just in time to the Bow of a large grey Battleship loom out of the darkness, just before it fired its immense cannons.

Concussion shells exploded on either side of her small and venerable ship, making it impossible to move or get out of their way.

Suddenly a concussion shell exploded too close to her ship, sending large pieces of metal flying in every direction.

She couldn't duck out of the way of one metal shard, and it hit her round the back of her head.

As Darkness slowly began to cloud her eyesight all she could think was,

"I'm sorry Elders, I've failed."


	2. The start of an adventure

-1**CHAPTER 1**

**THE START OF AN ADVENTURE**

Vyse watched from the crow's nest, as the Albatross pulled up silently behind it's latest catch, and indeed it's largest catch, A Valuan Flagship.

He watched with fascination as the ship came closer, ripe for the boarding.

As his Father said, it was unusual for the lone Valuan ships to be out in Mid-Ocean, Let alone a Flagship of an Imperial Armada, without the rest of it's fleet, but that wasn't the point. The point was, Vyse reminded himself, it was their duty as Air Pirates to liberate any or all of any loot they could get their hands on from armed vessels, and a Flagship was a gold mine.

Vyse was actually quite young at only seventeen years old.

He was tall and slightly lanky, and had a mop of shoulder length, dark brown hair that fell around his face slightly.

His face was one you could trust, with incredibly bright hazelnut eyes, dark predominant eyebrows and underneath his left eye was a small half-circle of a scar.

Also on his right eye was a Glass eye patch. This helped him see things at great distances, a bit like a telescope; in fact it had been him who had spotted the Flagship in the first place.

He wore simple clothes; underneath the dark blue uniform he wore a sort of turtle-necked t-shirt, black in colour and very close fitting.

Buttoned up over this was Vyse's uniform that his Dad had given him for his Seventeenth birthday. It was Dark blue in colour and had no sleeves, as little straps of leather and brass buckled these on.

The coat it's self was done up by eight brass buttons and the sleeves were decorated with a silver buckle on each one.

Around his slightly thin waist was a large double holed belt that held his double cutlass's, one hung by his side, the other strapped on horizontality

He also wore plain, black, fitting trousers and light brown insulated boots.

"Hey Vyse!"

Vyse looked over the railing to see his father looking up at him.

"Get ready son, we're about to board her!"  
"Aye, Aye!" Vyse shouted back and braced him self with his grapple.

The Albatross shuddered slightly as she let of a volley of cannon balls to let the flagship know it was there.

As the Albatross pulled up beside the Flagship, Vyse finally managed to get the name of the ship

The H.M.S Cygnus.

The deck below him was a flurry of activity as the crew gathered ropes and threw them towards the Cygnus; each latching on to the side of the ship, making sure the Albatross was going nowhere.

Knowing this was his cue he leaped up into the air and over the side of the railing. From there he latched on to a rope and slid down to the Cygnus' deck, his Duel Cutlass's ready.

Out of the whole of his Blue Rogues clan he was the only person who knew how to fight with two cutlasses at the same time, which was usually the reason he always boarded a ship first.

As soon as Vyse's feet hit the ground Valuan guards surrounded him.

Spotlights suddenly illuminated the Deck, making the Soldiers armour shine.

"Ah! A Welcoming committee!" he said with a smile.

"Air Pirate scum," said one guard angrily, in a heavy Valuan Accent. "Do you realize you're attacking an armed vessel of the Valuan Imperial Armada?"

"Of course I know that." Vyse said sarcastically, "We always attack you. You guys have the best stuff!"

The Leader of the guards just seemed to get more agitated but then lowered his sword.

"Attacking us all by yourself?" He asked, before laughing out loud, "You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. We'll be tossing you overboard now."  
"No, I don't think so," a loud, female voice shouted. A moment later, somebody dropped down next to Vyse.  
It was a young girl around Vyse's age.

Had she been born into a royal family she would not have looked out of place, save for her flame red hair, bundled into two twin brads on either side of her head, allowing a few bangs to fall over her face.

She had a pert nose and delicate futures, along with bright brown eyes.

She was no doubt beautiful, and not just in her face.

She wore a tight Yellow leather one piece dress that was dangerously on the short side and showed off her attributes perfectly. To keep herself from embarrassment she wore a pair of brown shorts underneath her dress. A large pendant that her mother had given her hung from around her neck, and she wore a pair of goggles atop her head, more for show than practicality. In her left hand she clutched a large boomerang forged from green moonstone.  
"Vyse, you ditched me…again," she whined. "Whatever happened to 'ladies first'?"  
Vyse grinned. "Aika, ever herd the extension to that statement, Men just before?"  
She gave him a slightly irritated look before focusing her action on the Valuan guards surrounding them.  
The Valuan guards only snorted. "Fools. What do the two of you think you can possibly do to the five of us?"

One of the Valuan Guards suddenly lurched at Vyse, just as a shot rang around the ship. The Valuan Guard suddenly stopped his lurch, before falling over into a crumpled heap on the deck.

"That's funny," said a deep and familiar voice, "I only count four of you."

Vyse whirled around and sighed with Relief as he saw his Dad, holding up a pistol, the gun still smoking.

Captain Dyne was a tall man, only a head taller than Vyse himself. He wore black shirt and trousers as well as a blue over jacket. His hair was neatly cut and had sliver lines running though it and the same went for his trim moustache.

"Dad!" Vyse cried, Relived that he had finally arrived.

"Vyse, go to the bridge and capture the captain," he ordered. "Take Aika with you. We'll get rid of the soldiers on board. And one more thing. When we're out here, it's not 'dad'...it's 'captain'. Got it?"

Vyse smiled and rolled his eyes at Aika.

"Right...aye aye, 'captain'. Come on Aika, let's go introduce ourselves to the captain of this ship!"  
The redhead grinned. "Right behind you Vyse."  
"Let's go!"  
(7)

After travelling though various corridors, Vyse and Aika Dropped down into a large, empty room.

"What do you suppose this is?" Aika asked as she gazed around.

"Most likely a Cargo bay or something," Vyse said blankly, as though it was obvious.

Aika sighed and suddenly looked agitated.

"Oh, what a waste of time, There's nothing here!"

"Use your head Aika," Vyse muttered with an edge of sarcasm. "There's more than likely more than one Cargo bay, this place is huge."

"Yeah, I guess your right."

They continued to walk down a corridor, until they reached a larger room than the Cargo bay, only this room was lined with walkways and staircases. On one of the upper walkways, Vyse finally met what looked like the captain of the ship.

The man looked very much a spoiled brat, with features that most women would kill for.

He had rosy lips and a pert nose, as well as large, pale blue eyes. His hair was so blond it was almost white and mostly slicked back, a small portion curled over in front of his face to the left. He was exactly tall, and his form was skinny, shown off even more by his tight black admiral's pants and a heavy white jacket trimmed in gold. The shoulders were heavily padded, no doubt to make him look bigger, and adorned with tassels on one shoulder, and the yellow tassels of a Valuan Admiral on the other, and draped from his back was a white velvet cape.

Behind the Admiral was an officer, with the same type of tassels hanging from his back, only these were white in colour.

Draped over his back was a small bundle of white, looking very insignificant.

The admiral looked down his nose at the two Blue Rogues, looking totally and utterly disgusted.

"So," He said, in a slightly high, voice with a noble accent. "Air pirates have decided to…infest my ship."

Vyse simple raised an eyebrow, at this remark.

"Judging from your clothes," he said, cocking his head to one side as in deep thought, "I presume you're the Captain of this ship."

The admiral gave a short, high-pitched laugh, and looked down at them, with a slight hint of an evil smile,

"Oh," he said quietly, "You have no idea."

The young man brushed his hair back again, cleared his throat, and began to pronounce something that sounded as though he had been practising in front of a mirror.

"I am Admiral Alfonso Vadeck, commander of the First Fleet of the Imperial Armada, cherished son of Empress Teodora, Valua's most distinguished family. Normally lowlifes such as yourselves wouldn't have the privilege of meeting someone with the likes of me. Consider yourselves honoured."

Vyse hadn't heard a word he had said, he had been concentrating on the bundle of white draped over the Vice-Captains shoulder. After zooming in on the bundle, he noticed that it was moving slightly. A piece of thin fabric suddenly shifted to reveal part of a face, a girl's face!

"Yeah...right…" he replied, Angrily, "Who's the girl? I never thought someone of your...stature...would stoop to kidnapping."  
Alfonso eyes narrowed, "Heh...you're

"You!" he shouted at a group of guards, "Dispose of them!"

"Yes Admiral Alfonso!" each of them shouted, before vaulting over the railing and surrounded the two Air pirates.

"What should we do? What should we do?" Aika asked desperately.

"Come on Aika, We've been in tougher situations." Vyse said quietly as he fumbled around his pocket for what he wanted. He finally found it.

Grinning slightly, he pulled out his red moonstone, shouting in the process.

"MOONS, GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

The floor suddenly began to quake beneath their boots. Out of nowhere a blast of fire, shot out in all directions, encasing all the guards in a sea of flames. Each of them fell to the ground, trying to put out the flames.

"That'll keep 'em busy for a while," Vyse said with a smile, "Come on, we have to save that girl."

Alfonso was aghast when he saw the Blue Rogues storming up the stairs.

"You little maggots don't know when to give up do you?" he sneered.

"Aww," said Aika in mocking voice, "Is da poor widle Admiral gonna cry? Poor baby!"

"You'll pay for that wretch," Alfonso screamed, stamping his foot, "but not this time. If you want this ship that badly, you can have it, I'll get another one. So long Rogues!"

And with a high pitched laugh he slammed the door behind him.

Vyse ran up to the door and threw it open, only to find another, more heavily armed door, with no visible lock on this side.

Vyse slammed his fist against the door.

"Damm," he swore, "Now we'll never save her."

"Calm down Vyse," Aika said calmly and laid a hand on his shoulder, "What about that door?"

Vyse looked up and suddenly sighed with relief.

It was an Emergency exit door, a door leading out side the ship, to a ladder that would lead directly to the Hanger.

"Alright!" Vyse grinned, his energy returning, "Lets go!"

(7)

Vyse and Aika slunk into the Hanger bay, keeping to the walls. The Hanger was the largest room they had seen yet.

It was filled with small, double engine life boats. One of which appeared to be getting ready to sail.

Over in one corner laid the girl, so still some people might have thought she was dead.

Alfonso simply stood in the middle of the Hanger, watching the sun as it began it's daily crawl though the sky though the open hanger door.

"Admiral Alfonso…" The officer had turned to look out at the sky. "The sun is up and visibility is good. Preparations for your departure are complete. It is safe for you to escape now."  
"Good…" Alfonso sneered, quietly drawing his sword from his side. "I've finished my preparations as well... preparations to dispose of a traitor."  
The officer whirled around in time to find the sword pointed at his throat. He jerked and stumbled back, holding onto his the control panel for opening the door for support, shaking in his boots .  
"A-admiral!" he stammered, "What are you doing!"  
Alfonso's eyes were full of malice as he stared down at the officer. "I can't tell the my mother I lost my flagship to a bunch of air pirates in a fair fight." he snorted, "To keep my glorious reputation from being tarnished, I'm going to need a scapegoat, and you'll do quite nicely!"

"N-no!" the officer pleaded, hastily backing up as Alfonso began to step forward. "Please, Admiral! You must reconsider!"  
"You just don't get do you?" the admiral half-shouted, stamping his foot slightly, looking like a child who wasn't allowed candy from a store, "I said I want you to die! Jump off of this ship! Now!"  
The officer continued to refuse. Alfonso lashed out at him, continuing to strike blow after blow on the poor former Vice-Captain.

"Aika," Vyse whispered, his anger increasing steadily as Alfonso continued to beat his former officer to death, "Go and help the girl, or at least make sure she isn't as dead as she looks from here,"

Smiling slightly at him, Aika ran over to the girl as quietly as possible as Vyse began to run for the admiral. Unfortunately, he was too late. Alfonso made a final stab at the defenceless officer and sent him to his knees. The unforgiving admiral then kicked him overboard, His screams getting fainter and fainter as he fell into deep sky.

Alfonso laughed delightedly, as he sheathed his sword.

"Ah, even in death he serves me well," he laughed and then put on a ridiculously high voice that made him sound even more feminine and oily than normal.

"But Mother, it was my own Vice-Captain who betrayed me, so I only saw it fitting to kill him myself!"

Then he laughed coldly, until that is, he felt the cold of a cutlass in his back.  
"Very funny Alfonso," Vyse said, through clenched teeth. "Now turn around and face me! After watching you kill an unarmed man in cold blood, I can't allow you to walk away from this."  
Alfonso looked back over his shoulder, utterly disgusted "An uncivilized rogue such as yourself wishes to challenge me? Peh. I don't deal with filth like you personally, I'd rather walk though Lower city!"

"But I do think there's something that could do the job for me! Come Antonio!"

Vyse looked puzzled at Alfonso's smug look and stared at Aika who looked just as puzzled.

All of a sudden the deck below them began to shudder, each second getting heavier and heavier. Then it stopped.

Vyse whirled around to face the doorway, which was the most obvious place where the thudding had been coming from.

Bang!

Suddenly the door was flung from its hinges, making Vyse dive out of the way.

"Wh…What is that thing?" He asked, gasping for breath.

Alfonso stood high and gave a short, hash laugh.

"He's my personal war beast," He stated proudly, "I was going to leave him here for you to find but it appears I've found another use for him. Antonio, squish these pests and make their deaths AS PAINFUL AS POSSIBLE!"

The great monster reared it's ugly head and roared before falling back on all fours.

It easily stood eight feet at the shoulder, it's large bulky body mostly covered in customised silver armour. Two massive ivory horns, each easily five feet long, protruded from its broad shoulders and ran out on either side of it's small head, stretching out straight forward.

It looked around and sniffed the air, as if testing it for something.

Vyse watched carefully, not moving a muscle, for it was obvious that the Beast couldn't see that well.

"Don't move," he mouthed to Aika, who nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

"He's over there you great brute!" Alfonso yelled, "Go and get him! NOW!"

Antonio's head suddenly snapped to the direction of Vyse.

Then, with a mighty bellow, the great beasts horns began glow yellow as they charged up with electricity.

"Vyse!" Aika cried suddenly, "Vyse look out! Get out of the way! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Vyse braced himself, for attack, watching Antonio for the right moment.

Suddenly both horns let out a immense volley of electricity.

Smiling slightly to himself, Vyse jumped clean into the air, the attack missing him by inches, instead hitting the control panel behind him, making it spark and short fuse.

Vyse landed on one knee, and gasped slightly from the pain of it.

"Aika," He yelled, "Don't let that thing near the girl!"

"Oh how romantic!" Alfonso taunted, clasping his hands in a girly fashion beside his face, "you don't even know this girl and yet you protect her! Oh doesn't make you want to be sick?"

"About as sick as looking at you face," Vyse muttered under his breath.

He stood up with a bit of effort as Antonio stopped once more and sniffed around, as if tasting the air to find him.

"Any enemy of the Valuan Empire is an ally of the Blue Rogues. Your 'Hospitality' for this girl disgusts me as much as I appear to disgust you, so unless she says otherwise, I believe it is my duty as a Blue Rogue and a gentlemen to protect this girl with my life!"

And with that, yelling as loud as he could, Vyse charged at the great war beast.

Antonio saw him moments before the attack and by that time it was too late.

Vyse hit the War beast with vigorous death blows,

Right, left, left again, another right

The final blow gave him the momentum he needed to lift himself high above the wounded Antonio.

As he launched himself into the air he noticed the Beasts helmet come loose, exposing skin and showing weakness.

Vyse, smiled to himself as he brought the Cutlass over his head.

"Cutlass Fury!" he shouted and brought the blade down between the armour and the helmet, cutting though the back bone and air pipe, practically blocking the poor beasts air supply.

Antonio gave a half strangled grunt and reared up throwing Vyse off its back, before finally collapsing at Alfonso's feet.

Alfonso looked down on it, going slightly paler than usual.

"Bah!" he sneered, "It appears that there's more to you than meets the eye!"

he swished of his cloak and jumped into the lifeboat. Before he started the engine he stared coldly at them down his nose.

"You _will _rue the day you faced me boy! Me and the Valuan Empire will have our revenge on you!"

And with that, before Vyse could stop him, he ignited the engine and flew out of the hanger and away onto into the rising sun, cackling madly.

It was all Vyse could do to run to the edge of the hanger and watch him disappear into the sunset.

"Blast," Vyse, cursed, waving his fist at the fast departing lifeboat, "What kind of a coward sacrifices his own men and his own ship just to run away from battle!"  
Aika smirked as she ran up to him and elbowed him playfully. "Well, even though he's a coward, he's a coward with gold. We haven't had a catch this big in a long time. The people at home will be impressed!"

Vyse smiled at her before shaking his head slightly and turning back to the corpse that was Antonio.

With a bit of effort, he managed to haul his cutlass out of the fallen beast's throat, before wiping the blood off it on one of the tassels that hung from Antonio's armour.

After this he finally walked over to the girl he had fought to wench out of Valua's evil grasp.

Now that Aika had laid her on her back, he could see her features perfectly. She was a petite and graceful figure who looked as delicate and tiny as a flower, and perhaps just as beautiful. Vyse had to admit, she was indeed breathtakingly beautiful. she appeared to be Vyse's age, her features subtle and delicate, her skin pale and milky. Her platinum blond hair flowed slightly down the back of her neck, but was separated into two locks at the front, framing her face. On either shoulder and on her forehead, were small, Q-shaped tattoos, which stood out against her pale skin.  
Her clothing was of the likes he had never seen. It was a pure white dress that fitted her small form perfectly, and trimmed in gold along the edges. It had no sleeves or back, and was held up by a golden choker around the neck. Two more were found at the end of the separate sleeves, each decorated in strange circuit-like patterns, which could be found all over the dress. The sleeves only covered around three-quarters of her arms and appeared to be held up by a pair of simple silver bands. A small piece of triangular cloth had been cut out from the front over her chest, although it didn't show off anything. While the dress itself was went down to her ankles, it was slit up the side to her waist, clearly to help her move around better. Underneath it she wore a tight pair of white leggings, tucked into a set of ankle bracelets that matched her Chokers, finishing in white leather boots. A pale silver bracelet clung to one wrist under her sleeve , and two large, deep blue earrings dangled from her ears. Completing the strange ensemble was a slightly transparent white veil that went down to roughly the middle of her back and was held around her head by a golden headband, She reminded Vyse of a bride or a damsel in distress, which, he reminded himself, she was.

"Doesn't she wear the strangest clothing? I've never seen that kind of fabric." Aika queried, coming up alongside him. "She is alive you know," she said quickly as Vyse checked her pulse, "I checked, but like I said, I've never seen anybody wearing clothes like those before. She has to be the strangest person I've ever seen. It's obvious she's not from Valua...so I wonder where she's from?"  
"She's not strange, Aika," Vyse muttered, "Only her clothes are…" he stopped and frowned softly to himself, as he continued to feel for a pulse and checked her temperature, before lightly tracing a finger over one of the bruises marring her cheek. "Well, I don't know what they are. But still, she's a little beat up, most likely from when they kidnapped her. Unless they've beating her as well," he screwed up his face in disgust, "I wonder why Valua was trying to capture her in the first place? She doesn't look any older than us…"  
"What should we do?" she asked.  
Vyse shrugged his shoulders, before looking back down at the girl.

"Well she can't stay here, I guess we'll just have to take her with us," he replied simply as he carefully sliding his arms beneath the girl's shoulders and legs. He took a moment to gather her up against him, then stood up, making sure that her head was resting against his chest. "Obviously we should take her back with us," he continued, "She's obviously in trouble, or at least she was... As I said before, it's a Blue Rogue's duty to help a person in need. I'm sure a few sacri crystals will heal any problems, and then we can help her to get back home safely...wherever that is."


	3. The Silver Girl

Hey, I have a request to make.  
The thing is, LoAS isn't actually finished (Have I said that before? Can't remember.) I'm currently stuck in a Writer's Block, just after they've left Valua on the Delphinus. Now, usually when I write a story based on something (Example: The Captain and I) I usually play the movie as I write, so I can get the scripting just write.  
But (At least, at the moment) Skies of Arcadia isn't a movie, and I don't have it on DVD, and My Gamecube is downstairs, whereas I'm upstairs in my room.  
So, My request is this. I need one of two things. Either a super detailed synopsis of the game (Like what actually happens.) Or somewhere where I can find the transcripts to the games cinematic bits.  
If anyone can help me here I'd be really super gratful! Just PM me or send me an Email or something if you can help me get out of this writer's rut!

Oh, I may have forgotten this, but I wrote a note on the Arcadian year, I didn't include it at the begining because I already posted it at the begining of TVNW. Just thought I'd say that.

Kay, that's all for now guys and girls. Please Read &Review, I like to hear what people think.

Dearing.

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**CHAPTER 2**

**THE SILVER GIRL**

Vyse sat impassively on the stool beside his bed on the Albatross, watching the girl sleep away her troubles.

It had been a few minutes since they had departed form the Cygnus and they were now on their way home to Pirate Isle.

Aika had gone up to the bridge to inform his dad about their visitor, and in the mean time Vyse had been healing the girl with various Sacri crystals and the little knowledge he knew of the healing line of spells for the more serious bumps and bruises.

He was just doing a final check on her when Aika walked in.

"How's she doing?" She asked quietly, looking at the girl properly for the first time.

"I think she's gonna be ok," Vyse replied, not taking his eyes off his 'patient', "Her breathings more normal now, and I believe she should make a full recovery."

"That's great," Aika said, slightly distracted.

Noticing the tone in her voice was different from normal, Vyse looked up and studied her face.

"Aika what's up, you seem quite and for you that's a first!"

Vyse had known each other for a long time, and had only been born half a year apart. When Aika's parents had passed on, Captain Dyne had adopted her and she and Vyse had both grown up with each other since then. So they could usually tell when the other was sad or depressed.

"I was just thinking about what you said to Alfonso," Aika said, looking down at her shoes, "you know, about your 'Duty as a Blue Rogue and a gentlemen to protect her' and so on, I was just wondering if you actually meant that, or if you were actually just taunting Admiral Sassy pants?"

Vyse raised his eyebrows, seeing though the question to what she really wanted to know;

"_Would you do the same for me if I was in that girls place?_"

Sighing mentally to himself and rolling his eyes at the ceiling he walked over to her and gently took a finger and raised Aika's head so she had no choice but to look into his eyes.

"Aika," he said soothingly, "I would do the same for anyone in her position. Her, you, Dad, anyone." he chuckled slightly to himself, "Anything to deal a blow to Valua!"

She smiled back at him, understanding.

Although both of them had seriously thought about making their friendship something more than it was already, they both knew that it wasn't to be, there wasn't that spark that was really needed, they had known each other to long to know that something else was required, and they didn't have it. Neither of them had told the other what they felt, they just had to look into each others eyes to know, and understand.

The tense silence between then was suddenly broken as they herd a slight moan, coming from the bed.

It took only a glance at each other for them to realise that the girl was waking up.

Vyse quickly walked over to the bed to see if there was anything he could do to help her.

He leaned over her to make sure everything was ok, breathing passage clear, nothing else preventing her from waking up, and he had just finished all he could do when she opened her eyes.

Vyse found himself looking at the most beautiful shade of aquatic green he had ever seen.

The two of them just stared at each other for a moment, almost nose to nose, as if the time had suddenly stopped.

"Um…" was all Vyse could say, he had never seen anyone like her, "Good morning,"

The girl blinked a few times before shrinking slightly with a very quiet "good morning."

Vyse suddenly realised he was cramping her slightly, and stood up to give her space sit up.

When she did sit up, she looked around, with a slight fear in her eyes, clutching her bed covers to her chest.

"Hi!" Aika chirped, back to her normal self and completely overlooking the fact the girl seemed to be scared stiff, "how are ya feeling?"

"Um… ok … I guess." Her voice was so quiet, yet so effective, for some reason, it made Vyse hang on to every word, "Where am I?"

"Your on our ship, the Albatross," said Vyse, finding his tongue, "It's a pirate ship of the Blue Rogues."

The girl continued to stay uneasy.

"Don't worry," he said, with a reassuring smile, "There aren't any Valuan troops around here, and we're not going to hurt you, so there's nothing to worry about."

She smiled back slightly, giving Vyse a funny feeling in his stomach, almost like flutterflies.

"My name's Aika Nautili and that's Vyse Dyne," Aika said offering her hand, "Do you have a name?"

The girl just stared at Aika's hand with a confused look on her face.

"Um…my name…is Fina…Fina Silvairian," she said quietly.

Vyse looked up from deep thought,

"Fina, eh?" he mused, "Nice name. Sounds so…" he paused for a moment, think of how to compliment her with minimum embarrassment for himself, "so feminine," he finished, knowing full well it wasn't much of a compliment.

Fina raised her eyebrows at him in surprise,

"Really?" she asked, "do you think so?"

Vyse sighed and rolled his eyes at the ceiling before looking at Aika.

"Geez…you try to compliment somebody and nothing, no reaction whatsoever."

Aika laughed at him, knowing he had meant well.

"Oh Vyse, it wasn't much of a compliment in the first place! You still have a lot to learn about women!"

Fina also started to giggle, hiding behind one of her hands.

Vyse smiled slightly, seeing the funny side of what he had said.

Once Fina had stopped her giggling she seemed to be slightly more relaxed, however she seemed to be afraid of doing something embarrassing.

"Um...excuse me." she asked, "I have a question. What exactly is a ….a pirate?"  
Vyse's eyes widened at the question. He blinked incredulously and exchanged glances with Aika.  
"What?" she asked, looking exactly the same as Vyse, "You were out travelling all by yourself and you don't know what an air pirate is?"  
Fina blushed and cast her gaze down. "I-I'm sorry. This is my first time away from home and..."  
"Hey, don't worry about it," Vyse said, reassuringly. He gave Aika such a stern look she bowed her head to evade his eyes before turning back to address Fina. "The air pirates are a group of people who sail the skies searching for treasure and adventure," he explained. "Basically air pirates are divided into two factions: the Blue Rogues and the Black Pirates. Black Pirates are a band of nasty sailors who attack any ship they see...usually unarmed craft and merchant vessels."  
Fina gasped and stared at Vyse in fear. "Attack!"  
Vyse only chuckled and gave her another reassuring smile. "You don't need to worry about us. We're Blue Rogues. We only attack armed vessels and steal their goods, usually those belonging to the Valuan Armada." He grinned as he looked suddenly distant as if thinking about something, "We keep all the gold we can get our hands on, but we use it to help people in need. We're always out there to lend people a helping hand. Heh, it's what we live for!"  
"That's why we rescued you," Aika added, in firm conclusion.  
"Oh...um...thank you..." Fina bowed her head slightly to Aika in acknowledgement, and Aika took her turn to look confused.  
An awkward silence passed between the two girls. Vyse looked between the two of them before his dad's voice broke through the silence though the talk tubes.

"Vyse!" he shouted, "come up to the bridge, your gonna be late for duty if your not careful!"

Aika suddenly looked at Vyse with shock.

"By the moons, I lost track of time!" she said.

"Well, we better hurry or we're swabbing the decks for the rest of our lives," Vyse joked, chuckling to himself.

"Do you think we should see if dad wants to talk to Fina?"  
"If we can tear him away from the bridge, yeah." Aika rolled her eyes at him.  
"Heh, alright." Vyse smirked, before rising from his seat, pausing to look down at Fina. Their eyes met once more, and he hesitated, feeling a strange, light sensation in his stomach again. "We're gonna go let my dad know that you're okay," he said, feeling slightly uneasy, "He's our…" he paused, trying to think of what to call him in case she didn't know, "…Captain of our clan, so he'll want to meet you."  
"O-okay…" she replied, softly, clasping her hands over her chest, "Erm…what's a captain?"  
Aika began to sigh softly, but it was soon replaced by a lot of cursing under her breath because Vyse elbowed her in between the ribs.  
"He's our leader," he said quietly, "you can walk around the ship for a while," Vyse replied with a patient smile, shooting Aika another look. He nodded to Fina in acknowledgment before turning on his heal and headed out the door, Aika in hot pursuit.

Once they had closed the door, they stood side by side, in silence for a moment.

"So?" Vyse asked,

"So what?" replied Aika.

"So what do you think of her," he said as he walked down the corridor.

"Well, I…" Aika scratched the back of her neck as though searching for the right words. "I mean, is she really serious?

Does she really not know all that stuff?"

"It could be amnesia you know," Vyse pointed out, trying to defend Fina, "I mean, she was pretty beat up when we found her,"

Aika stopped at gave Vyse as piercing stare.

"If I didn't know better, Vyse Dyne, I'd say you we're smitten with her!"

Vyse looked back at her, looking slightly confused, but going slightly red.

"Oh come on Aika," he said blankly, "We've only just met girl, I don't know what she likes, or dislikes, or where she's from for that matter!"

Aika raised an eye brow at him, as she walked over to the ladder to the bridge.

"You just seem very protective of her. It's very unlike you s'all."

"I seem to remember getting this," he said indicating to the scar on his cheek, "defending you once upon a time,"

She smiled at him, shook her head before climbing the rest of the way up the ladder to the bridge, with him in pursuit.

The bridge was very light and airy, the walls lined with large bay windows that allowed them a panorama view of their ship and the skies around them. The table to the right was littered with maps and navigational charts, and the front of the cabin overlooking the deck was crowded with the equipment necessary to operate the ship. The short, squat form of the navigator, Charles Landis, was hovering over the compass, while the long, wiry body of his father's vice captain, Jonathan Briggs, stood stiffly at the helm. Dyne was a little behind them, thick arms folded across his chest as he gazed out at the skies.

"You late son," Dyne said quietly, "You know the routine, Swab the decks, I want them spotless."

"Aw Dad," Vyse whined, "We were only a little late!"

"Yeah Cap'n," Aika joined in, "Cut us some slack! We came to tell you that Fina's awake, you know, the girl Vyse brought on board"

Dyne turned around, obviously interested in Fina,

"So she told you her name did she?" He mused, "That _is _interesting. I suppose this means that she trusts you. Hm…interesting," he glanced out of the front windows and smiled as he saw the small mound that they called Pirate Isle and home loom up in the distance. He then looked down and noticed Fina had walked up onto deck and was looking out to sea.

Turning back to Vyse he said, "It looks like to me that your friend has decided to come up on deck. I need someone to stay on duty up here for a while, but I'd also like someone to look after our guest until I can question her when we get home, would either of you like to volunteer?"

Vyse suddenly went red again and lowered his gaze to his shoes.

Noticing this Aika perked up and replied, "I'll go on duty Cap'n, and Vyse can guard Fina,"

Vyse looked up at Aika, bewildered.

"Then it's settled," Dyne said, clapping his son round the shoulder with a smile before turning back to the front window.

Vyse glared at Aika,

"What did you do that for?"

"Well," Said Aika innocently, with an impish smile, "I thought this would give you an opportunity to get to know her better!"

Vyse's eyes narrowed, before turning around and heading back down the ladder.

On his way to the main deck, some of the sailors, asked him teased him about Fina, whistling at him and so on, to which he just ignored them.

When he finally got to the deck he found Fina looking out over deep sky, obviously lost in her own thoughts.

"Hey Fina,"

She jumped slightly when she heard her name, and turned around to see who it was,"

"Oh, Vyse," she said quietly, smiling slightly,

He smiled back, there was a silence between them for a moment before Vyse finally spoke up,

"I take it your feeling better?" he asked,

"Oh, yes, much better, thank you for your concern." she replied.

They stood for a moment in silence, just looking at each other, as though they had run out of things to say.

Eventually Vyse tore his eyes away from her and stood next to her, leaning on the railing.

"I noticed we're coming close to an island," Fina finally said, "Is that where you live?"

"Yep," Vyse replied with a smile, and pointed towards the landmass, "Pirate Isle. You won't find it on any maps, because it's usually under the name, Windmill Island, so the Vaulans don't try to hurt us."

"I see,"

By now, the Albatross was making her final decent toward the Island.

As it came down, Fina could make out a small collection of house dotted here and there, and when she focused hard she could just make out children playing, and smiled warmly at the sight.

Vyse continued to stare down at the scene, watching absentmindedly before hearing a grinding sound.

Suddenly part of the Island seemed to come loose and begin to slowly drop down.

Fina gasped and held the railing for support,

Vyse smiled and continued.

"You see, on the outside, it looks like a peaceful village, but on the inside, it's our headquarters, nothing to worry about."

Fina just stared at the cavern beyond the newly opened door as the ship was slowly engulfed in the darkness.

While she stared, the ship began to slow down as it became dangerously close to the other end of the Cavern.

Unfortunately, however, the Albatross didn't fully stop in time and gently hit the wall.

Fina, who had been so intent on looking around the place, wasn't expecting a bump, and the result was her falling over.

Vyse chuckled to himself as he went over to help her up.

"_Aika must be Piloting again,_" he thought.

Bending over he offered Fina his hand. "Need some help up?" he asked with a smile.  
Blushing softly, Fina slipped a tiny hand in his and he gently pulled her to her feet. He was amazed at how small and fragile she seemed when he helped her up; it was then he noticed that even with her boots on, she barely reached his shoulder. She peered up at him innocently and bashfully with her large eyes, her pale face filling even more with colour, and even he too began to blush as he realized he still was yet to let go of her hand.  
He fumbled for some words, and finally just blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Your eyes...they're...very…nice..."

Fina looked down, still blushing, mumbled a "thank you," before looking back into Vyse's eyes.

They just stood there for a moment, gazing at each other, before they both herd someone cough and let go.

"Am I interrupting something?" asked Briggs, a hint of a smile on his scar-ridden face.

Vyse and Fina exchanged a look and smiled slightly, before Vyse answered him,

"No, nothing important Briggs, I take it Aika was at the wheel?"

Briggs chuckled slightly, "Yeah, biggest mistake I ever made. Wonder with a Boomerang, not so good with the helm. The Captain's giving her a right telling off. I came to tell you that your father wants to talk to Fina, So, you're to bring her to his office and wait for him there."

"Aye Aye!" Vyse said, "Come on Fina, My dad doesn't like us being late."


	4. Pirate Isle

CHAPTER 3  
PIRATE ISLE

Fina clasped her hands to her chest as she waited with Vyse in his father's office.

All she could think about was the fact that the longer she was here the more time Valua had to search for the objects she was seeking.

She looked over at Vyse, who was leaning against the wall, deep in thought.

She smiled slightly to herself as she looked at him, though for what reason she didn't know.

At that moment the door swung open and Captain Dyne strode into the room, with a fairly sulky Aika behind him.

Vyse immediately stood up from the wall.

"I brought Fina up here like you asked 'Captain' " he said, slightly emphasizing the last word.

"Thanks Vyse," muttered his father as he sat down in the only chair in the room, "Well Fina, I think you know my son Vyse and his Friend, Aika. My name is Dyne, Captain Lance Dyne of the Blue Storm clan of the Blue Rogues. Have you ever heard of us?"

Fina shook her head, clearly slightly scared of Dyne.

Dyne glanced over at Vyse who just mouthed, "_I told you so._" and looked rather smug.

"I see," Dyne said, focusing back on Fina, "Which country are you from, then?" Dyne finally asked.  
Fina continued to remain silent and stared down at her hands. "I...I can not say..." she finally replied.

One of Dyne's thick eyebrows arched suddenly. "Why not? Do you not trust us because we're air pirates?"  
"No!" Fina was quick to protest, and for the first time she actually looked up at him, enigmatic eyes wide. "Please, please believe me, it's not that! I am very grateful that you have saved my life. You just...please, you must understand...I've been given orders that I must tell nobody where I'm from, nor about the purpose of my quest."  
"Ah quest huh?" Dyne said.

Fina gasped and covered her month with her hands before staring back down at the floor.

"Give her a break Dad!" Vyse suddenly spoke up, "If this quest is something personal, than she doesn't have to tell us. If she doesn't want to tell us where she lives than I personally don't think she should tell us."

Again Dyne raised an eyebrow at his son, before chuckling slightly.

"Heh, it looks like I lost this one," he said, smiling.

"Very well Fina, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want too, I'll take your word."

Fina smiled and bowed to Dyne out of respect. "Thank you very much," she said when she stood up.

"Is there anything you can tell us? About you for example, how old are you?"

"I'm seventeen," She said brightly.

Dyne smiled and looked over at his son, "Ah, Vyse's age," he said, making his son scowl with embarrassment.

"Vyse take Fina topside and give her a tour of the island, Aika, get cleaned up, then report to the bow of the Albatross for painting duty, I want the front of that ship looking like new when I come to see it."

Now it was Aika's turn to scowl, "Aye aye sir," she muttered.

Fina and Vyse exchanged a look of surprise, had the damage been that bad?

After the trio had been dismissed, they headed along the metal catwalk and though the large stone door that let to topside.

When they were outside, Vyse looked at Aika and trying to sound as innocent as possible said, "Painting duty?"

He then just laughed out loud, while Aika continued to scowl at him.

"It wasn't my fault!" Aika half yelled, "I couldn't see the other wall very well!"

"Oh come on Aika it's not hard to see, I've done it millions of times,"

"Yeah but it's easier for you, block-head!" Aika continued, "And aren't you supposed to be giving Fina a tour?"

Vyse just chuckled to himself and wiped the tears from his eyes. Aika just turned her nose up at him before stalking away towards her house.

"Don't forget to come round for dinner!" Vyse called after her, before chuckling some more.

"Do you two always fight?" asked Fina, slightly worried.

"Not all the time," Vyse replied mildly, "Most of the time, but not all the time," He laughed and took her hand, "come on, I'll show you around."

* * *

A few hours and one over joyful welcome from his Huskra Pow, Fina and Vyse were sitting on the embankment in front of his house, lazily watching the world go by as they waited for Aika to finish painting the Albatross. 

"You have a lot of very nice people living here," Fina sighed, as she watched the children of the village play hide and seek with Pow.

"Yeah it's a great life alright," Vyse agreed.

He was deep in thought about something and wasn't paying much attention to the rest of the world.

"Are you going to loll around all day?" said a curt female voice, "or do you want to see the sun set before dinner?"

Vyse looked up from his daydream to see Aika, looking fairly fed up, glaring down at him.

"Have fun?" He asked with a smile.

Aika said nothing but raised an eyebrow and gave a sarcastic grin as she stretched and let her hair down so it flopped around her head.

"Come on, lazy bones," she said, pulling him up to his feet, "or I'll go up to Lookout Island without you."

Vyse chuckled to himself and turned around to help Fina to her feet.

"Want to join us?" he asked, smiling warmly, "there's a great view from up there."

She blushed slightly, because once again Vyse had forgotten to let go of her hand, "I would like that," she said, looking at her shoes. They both stood quietly for a moment, before Aika coughed.

"Right then!" Vyse said, a little louder than he meant, "Come on the sooner we get up this ladder the longer we have to look at the sunset!"

He quickly let go of Fina's had, before running up the wooden ramp to the ladder that led to Lookout Island.

* * *

It took a good couple of minutes to climb up the tall ladder that reached into the skies. The island it led too was tiny, barely three meters across, and fenced around its perimeter to keep others from falling. It was covered in a thick mat of soft grass, and a bench had been placed into one corner of it for people to sit on, but otherwise it was rather unimpressive. It was on this bench that Vyse took a seat, and Aika joined him, leaning back on her palms. Fina quietly stood nearby.  
The sky was bathed in the warm, bold colours of the sunset. A deep purple served as the base colour, cascading up from the lower level of clouds, eventually melting away into a rosy pink and then a tangy orange. The clouds were misted in pastel lavender and carnation hues, and in the distance the nearby sky rift flowed on in an easterly direction, rippling in similar, if not paler colours. Directly above their heads hung the gigantic white orb that was the Silver Moon, as if it were there to see the sun off to bed. 

"Amazing," Fina breathed.

"I know," Vyse replied, "I love coming up he to watch the sun set. It's the most amazing thing I know. One day I'd like to see what's beyond the sunset."

Fina looked at him curiously, "Beyond the sunset?" she asked.

Vyse was about to open his mouth to respond, when suddenly the wind began to pick up from the sky, little pin pricks began to form near the Silver moon. The pricks began to get larger and larger till they began to streak the sky.

"Whoa," Aika gasped, "a moonstone shower.

Sure enough, out of the air moonstones began to rain down.

Although only a few fell, it was still amazing.

Vyse watched as one of them fell sharply downwards and hit an island far north.

"Hey," he said, "that Moonstone just hit that Land mass, I think it's called Shrine Island."

"Hey Vyse," Aika whispered, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Vyse smiled at her, "Let's get that moon stone!" he said, "We'll start first thing in the morning."

Fina looked out at Shrine Island, before looking up at the Silver moon sadly,

She looked at it for a very long time.


	5. Ghosts of Shrine Island

I'm in a mixed mood today.  
On the one hand, I'm at home, feeling like world war three's going on im my stomach.  
But on the other hand, I've got nine reviews more then I thought I would for this fic.  
So, my good mood prevailed over my sickness and I'm gonna give you all an extra chapter this month.  
Enjoy!

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 4**

**GHOSTS OF SHRINE ISLAND**

The next day came earlier than Vyse wanted.

He was woken up by the sound of small pebbles being thrown at his window.

Grumbling slightly, he opened his window to see who was throwing them, only to get hit between the eyes.

"Ow!" he yelped, falling back in pain.

He heard a fairly girlish giggle and stormed back to his window.

"Aika!" he yelled, "What did you do that for? Do I have to get dad to have you report for painting duty again?"

Aika continued to giggle, "Sorry Vyse," she said, "but I couldn't think of another way of waking you up,"

"We do have a door you can knock and ask my mum to wake me up with you know," Vyse said sarcastically.

"Yeah but where's the fun in that?" she asked, still giggling.

"The Meridian is ready to go, I thought we could go early and surprise everyone with the moon stone when we get back."

The Meridian, named after a young man they had known during the Valuan-Nasr War, was a small boat that Vyse and Aika had built a few years ago. It was a short range vessel and unmarked so not to be attacked by anyone who didn't like the Blue Rogues.

"Alright I'll be down in a minute," he muttered.

Vyse got dressed and was heading out the door when a soft voice called to him.

"Vyse? Are you heading over to Shrine Island?"

Vyse turned around suddenly, only to see Fina standing there, looking at him sleepily, dressed in some of his old clothes to sleep in.

"Fina, I'm sorry did I wake you?"

She smiled, "No, I couldn't sleep, I heard you shout at Aika so I thought I would see you what was going on."

He smiled back, "We won't be gone long, it's just a short sail to Shrine Island, and what's the worst that could happen?"

She looked at him obviously slightly worried for him. She then took something out of her pocket.

It was a small handkerchief, wrapped around something.

"I want you to have something," she said, taking his hand and pressing the object into it, "for luck,"

Vyse looked at the object curiously, before unravelling it.

Inside the handkerchief was a small sliver ring, just the right size for his finger. Engraved on it was a circuit pattern similar to the ones throughout Fina's usual garb.

"It's beautiful," he breathed, "but I can't accept this, it's yours, it's a part of…where ever you come from,"

"And I want you to have it," she said, "As a thank you for saving my life,"

And she closed his hand, as if to make sure he didn't give it back.

"It should protect you from most attacks and give you the power of the Silver Moon, if you use it in the right way,"

"I don't know what to say," he mumbled,

"Just come back safely," she said, smiling, before turning around to head back to bed.

* * *

When Vyse finally got outside he found Aika, making last minute checks on the Meridian on the upper dock.

"Well you sure took your sweet time," she moaned when Vyse came up to the dock, "What did you do, dress in slow motion?"

Vyse smiled at her. He had put the Handkerchief and the ring into his back pocket for safe keeping, he didn't want people to think he was married.

"I was talking to Fina," he said pleasantly.

Aika looked up from making sure the sail was set and raised an eyebrow, "Oh I see," she said and rolled her eyes at him. "Well, if we want to get there in good time I suggest we go now,"

He sighed, he was an early riser, but not this early.

"Fine then," he grumbled, "the sooner we go and get it the sooner I can go back to bed!"

* * *

Half an hour later Aika and Vyse stood on Shrine Island, looking round amazed,

"Just think," Aika said in wonder, "We're probably the first people to stand here since the Old World."

"Apparently this place was some sort of temple in the Old World," Vyse mused, "Nowadays though, it's supposed to be haunted."

Aika suddenly looked around more with interest.

Shrine Island was little more than a tiny oval of land covered in overgrowth and flooded by years of rain which had caused a large manmade pool to overflow. At its heart, however, sat a magnificent, if not slightly broken, tower like building that rose into the sky, beaten to a jade green by the weather, and covered in centuries of moss. The perfectly proportioned structure was made out of a strange material, of the likes neither Vyse nor Aika had ever seen before. It looked like stone, but shone like metal and etched into every crevice of it were strange lines that glittered when the sunlight hit them just right. A thin, weakened walkway lead across the water to the entrance of the building, it was the only way in, or out.

"You know I don't like ghosts, Vyse," she said, looking towards the building.

Vyse said nothing, he was looking at a large hole in the side of the temple.

"I guess that's where the stone hit," he said indicating to the hole, "Ah nuts it's letting water into the temple!"

"What!" Aika cried, "Don't say that, I can't swim!"

"Well, if you're lucky, neither can the ghosts," Vyse argued, "Now come on, the more time we waste, the more water gets into the temple."

* * *

The inside of the temple wasn't pretty, almost all levels, aside from the one they were on, had flooded, and more water kept pouring in from the gaping hole in the side of the temple.

Bits of brick where the Moonstone had breached were, to Vyse's surprise, floating around the eddy created from the currant. In the centre of the temple was the moonstone.

It shone brighter than any other moonstone he had seen, making the water dance with light.

"So what's the plan genius?" Aika asked, surveying the scene.

"Well first, we should try to plug up that hole or something," Vyse muttered half to himself.

"With what?" Aika asked, slightly exasperated, "That holes so large, you could probably fly the Meridian through it!"

"Do you want to swim down and get?" Vyse asked, "Do you have a better idea?"

Aika looked at him sulkily, "No," she muttered to her shoes,

"Well then, let me continue. There are two doors on the other levels of this place, so if we open them, we might be able to drain the water." he finished.

"There's a door over there," he indicated, "It might lead to the other doors,"

Without waiting for an answer he strode in the direction of the door and walked though it.

Aika stood for a moment, sulking, before finally joining him though the door.

Vyse was looking around for another exit.

All he had found was he was standing on a balcony over hanging the door. In front of him was a small black pedestal, with a shining Silver moonstone encased in a prism hovering above it.

"Well, at least we got something out of this," Aika sighed, and headed to tug the moonstone out of the prism.

"Aika wait!" Vyse yelled, but too late, she had already touched it.

As soon as she touched it, instead of coming loose, the prism, sank into the pedestal in the floor

All of a sudden the entire building began to sink, shaking as it continued down.

Aika screamed and clung onto Vyse for dear life, the water of the pool coming ever closer.

Just as the water was beginning to lap at the balcony, the shaking stopped and the temple had aligned itself with the walkway.

Vyse sighed, slowly decoupling Aika from himself.

"Are you ok?" he asked,

"I'll be alright," Aika shuddered, and sank to the floor "Just a bit shaken up that's all."

Vyse looked at her kindly and was about to say something when he heard something.

A low hum of an engine.

Looking up into the sky, he focused around using his goggles, trying to see what it was. When he found it, he gasped.

"What?" Aika asked him, standing up immediately, "What is it?"

Vyse said nothing but pointed at the sky,

"The Armada,"

She looked up and gasped.

Sure enough, an entire battle fleet was flying overhead, totally oblivious to the two Rogues down below, but not just any Armada, the Fourth Fleet of the Armada, The Heavy Artillery Division.

The pounding thud-thud-thud of the engines rung through their ears. Each ship was bristling with gun ports, each ship a good mile long.

The armada flew over them, sounding like a hive of angry bees before heading south, the engines soon dieing away.

"What was that?" asked Aika, open mouthed. "Why would the Armada be here?"

"I don't know," Vyse said, still staring at the sky, "but I'd hate to be the one who has to fight them right about now."

* * *

Ben the lookout stood on Lookout Island, preparing to go on watch.

"Another beautiful day," He said to himself, watching the sun rise, the sky beginning to shimmer with pinks and oranges as it began its daily crawl across the sky.

Down below he heard the morning bell, signalling the beginning of his shift.

"Time start work," he muttered, "first I think I'll do a stretches to wake myself up."

So he started, leaning from side to side before leaning right back.

It was then that he heard it.

The soft, yet constant thud-thud-thud of an Imperial engine.

Then, out of the clouds he saw it, an entire battle fleet, upside down.

Ben's eyes widened with fear, and stood up straight to confirm it.

"Oh no!" he gasped, "It's the Armada! They've found us!"

As he turned round to get a better look, he noticed that this wasn't any ordinary fleet, for at her head, was a Serpent class vessel, like Lord Admiral Galcian's old vessel. However unlike the Lord Admiral's ship, where there was purple on his there was a dark navy blue.

"Oh no!" He gasped, "Of all the people to find us, IT'S THE ANDROMEDA!"

* * *

It had taken a while, but eventually Vyse and Aika had finally gotten to the bottom of the temple.

As Vyse had speculated, the sinking of the shrine had indeed plugged up the hole. What he hadn't realised was that now the door they had come though had opened onto a series of open glass walkways at the bottom of the island.

By opening the first door he had managed to drain the water and managed to finally reach the bottom, unharmed, if slightly wet from the spray.

They were now in front of the last and largest door they had seen.

"I guess this is the last one," Aika said, gazing at the water trickling out of the bottom of the door.

"Stand back," was all Vyse said.

She stepped to one side as he slowly tapped the door to open it.

The door creaked and groaned was it opened.

Both the Rogues, quickly got out of the way before the door opened, unfortunately Aika slipped.

The water suddenly burst though the door, hit Aika slightly. Not enough to throw her into deep sky, but enough to throw her off the catwalk they stood on.

She screamed as she fell, she could here Vyse called her name in vain, before she grabbed the side of the catwalk.

The water flowed out above her in a torrent, she could feel her fingers slipping on the glass. Her fingers were about to give way when a hand shot out and grabbed her, just as her hand gave way.

She just continued to scream in terror, despite the fact Vyse was trying to calm her as the water subsided.

"DAMM IT AIKA!" Vyse yelled, "I'VE BEEN THROUGH TOO MUCH WITH YOU TO LOSE YOU NOW AND I'M AS SURE AS HELL I'M NOT GOING TO LET GO OF YOU NOW!"

Aika finally heard him and looked up at him with tear strained eyes.

He gave her a encouraging smile, "Give me your other hand and I'll pull you up."

She tried to smile and gave her his other hand, to which he helped her up.

With a slight heave Vyse managed to pull Aika up.

"Oh Vyse," she gasped as she collapsed onto the floor, feeling slightly shaky after her near death experience "You saved me."

Vyse kneeled down beside her and smiled.

"Like I said, we've been though a lot since we were kids, I don't think I'd let you go just yet."

She smiled and drew close for him to embrace her, grasping his shirt tightly for comfort.

They sat there for a moment, shivering slightly from a combination of being wet and the constant wind blowing under the island.

After a few minutes Aika felt better and they finally entered the lower level of the Temple.

In the centre of the room lay the moonstone, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

"Well at least we don't have to haul this thing back the way we came," Said Aika with a laugh. "I think I'd just leave it if we did."

Vyse smiled as he looked at the stone.

For some reason he felt a slight tingling in his back pocket.

Delving into it he withdrew Fina's ring, still wrapped in its handkerchief.

He stared at it in the palm of his hand, turning it over with a finger.

"Hey," said Aika, looking over his shoulder, "Where'd you get that,"

"Fina gave it to me," Vyse said absentmindedly.

"It's pretty," Aika said looking at it.

"Yes," Vyse said quietly, still staring at the ring, turning it over.

"Vyse?" Aika looked at her friend, waving her hand in front of his face, "Vyse? Hey Vyse!" she snapped her fingers in front of his face making him blink and look up distractedly.

"If you'll start thinking for five minutes shall we see if we can move this rock?"

He smiled and folded up the handkerchief around the ring.

"You right Aika," He said, "Heh, It's gonna be an adventure and a half just getting it back to the Meridian!"

They both laughed and headed over to the stone to try and lift it.

Just then, Aika heard a grinding sound, a sound of stone grinding on stone, behind her.

Turning around she gasped.  
"Aika?" Vyse swirled around, cutlass's drawn, "What's the matter?"

"That's the matter!" Aika gasped, and pointed to a pile of rocks in the corner.

To both the Rogues amazement, it began to form itself into a statue easily three times their size, something roughly humanoid, but obese in shape. Holding it all together was a silver glow.  
"What in the world is that!" Vyse cried.

"I don't know," Aika said, staring at the massive beast, "But whatever it is, it doesn't look friendly!"

The statue stood stock still, before suddenly emitting several beams of light in almost every direction.

When the beams subsided it suddenly lunged and Vyse, missing him by inches.

"How did it know you were there?" Aika yelled over the grinding the immense statue was making with its movements.

"Those beams of light must be some kind of target locking system," Vyse yelled back, "There's got to be a way of beating it!"

Aika nodded and unsheathed her boomerang from her back.

"Hey ugly!" she shouted at the old machine, "See if you like this!"

She threw her boomerang directly at the silver glow, but before it hit it, the great giant of a statue simply brushed it was with its longer, handless arm.

It then raised this arm, and Aika could see a faint glow at the end of it.

Realising what it was seconds before it fired at her, she jumped out of the way, just as a deadly bolt of energy slung past her and blasted into the wall behind her, spraying her and Vyse with rubble.

"Hey Big guy!" Vyse yelled at the Old World Guardian, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The immense machine simply bent over, as if looking at something incredibly small, before swatting Vyse away like he was a fly, throwing him against a wall.

He felt pain spasm through his body, not hearing Aika call his name.

As he fell onto the floor, something shiny fell out of his pocket and rolled around until it was directly in front of him.

Through the pain, Vyse looked at the object curiously, he picked it up, and realised it was Fina's ring.

As he stared at it, he realised she had told him something about this ring,

"_It should protect you from most attacks and give you the power of the Silver Moon, if you use it in the right way,_"

With what strength he had left, he slowly slipped the ring onto his finger.

The effect was instantaneous.

The ring's circuit patterns began to glow bright gold and his vision and mind was suddenly filled with silver light.

He could feel his strength coming back to him.

Aika could only look in wonder was her friend was surrounded by a silvery light. Even the Stone monster seemed to stop in its tracks.

With some effort, Vyse stood up and sheathed his cutlasses, knowing for whatever reason, that he would not need them.

As he raised his hand the only thing he could think of was this silvery light, and the magic it was granting him.

"MOONS!" he yelled, "GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

As he threw his hand towards the mammoth statue, it was suddenly surrounded by twenty long sharp spikes ten above it and ten just below it's large midriff.

The spikes hovered around the stone abomination, before driving deeply into the Giant sentential's body, meeting in its centre.

Then, out of nowhere, another, much larger, spike appeared over the monsters head.

The sentinel of the Old World managed to let out a small groan before the spike drove deep into the body of the machine, shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces, it's arms and legs simple falling away.

Aika watched Vyse in amazement as he stood there for a moment, the silvery light beginning to fade.

As the last of it disappeared, Vyse let out a sigh of relief before collapsing into Aika's arms as she ran to catch him, so he wouldn't hurt himself.

"Vyse," she gasped, staring at her friend with a mixture of fear and admiration, "you just performed Eternum, that's the most advanced spell known today! How did you do it?"

Vyse smiled weakly as he raised his hand.

"Fina helped me," he said, showing her the ring, still glowing slightly, although not as brightly.

Aika blinked as she looked at it, before smiling.

"I don't know where she's from, but they must me very skilled in silver magic if they can put that much advanced magic into a ring."

He laughed and tried to sit up, only to feel suddenly weak and fell back again into Aika's arms.

"I think you better rest for a moment Vyse," she said quietly, her eyes filled with concern, "We'll rest here for a while then we'll see if can get this stone we've been though so much to get was really worth it.

He smiled at her. Despite the fact he was sweating, and he actually felt stronger than he ever had before, however at the same time, he was feeling quite weak and so decided not to complain.

"You're beginning to sound like my mom," he joked.

She laughed slightly and smiled at him, before looking around the ruins and absentmindedly started to stroke his hair, much to his surprise.

She had loved to fiddle about with his hair when they were young, and she hadn't done it for a while. He had forgotten just how relaxing it was.

* * *

Half an hour later Vyse felt strong enough to go on the move again and together they managed to haul the great Silver moonstone.

"There's one thing I don't understand," Aika said as they began final preparations for cast off.

"If the ring was in your pocket _and _enveloped inside that frilly thing Fina gave you, then how did it un-envelope itself, jump out of your pocket _and_ roll around until it was directly in front of you?"

Vyse stared down at the ring, still on his finger. He hadn't even taken it off since the incident with the Old World War Machine. It was now that he took it off and properly examined it.

"Maybe the people where Fina comes from designed this ring so it comes to you in you time of need," he pondered.

They were now sailing away from Shrine Island and heading back south towards Pirate Isle.

"It kinda feels the same like a Moonstone," he continued, "Or to be more exact, a silver moonstone."

Each moonstone had a different texture, depending on which moon it came from.

The Red moonstone felt warm when you held them. Spells from that moon were usually fire related.

The Green felt like it was giving you strength just by holding it. Thus, its spells were usually life giving and healing spells.

The Purple moonstones felt icy cold to the touch, and produced Ice spells that could freeze opponents.

The Yellow moon stone felt like it was full of energy, and if held for to long may give you an electric shock, thus, its spell were all electrical based.

The Blue Moonstones felt light and watery, and its spells usually were involved with wind or water.

And finally, the Silver moonstone.

These stones felt slightly slippery to the touch, but not enough to lose your grip.

The line of spells cast by Silver moonstones could usually either heal people up and even revive them from lost conciseness, or, as Vyse had demonstrated, could instantly kill someone or something.

"So you're telling me," Aika said at last, looking intuitively at the ring, "That thing was once a silver moonstone?"

"That's what I believe." he said, carefully placing the ring back in its handkerchief.

Aika watched him for a moment, piloting the Meridian, and was about to ask him something when she saw it.

It was a pillar of Dark smoke, streaming steadily upward.

"Vyse," she called, "I think you better come and take a look at this,"

By the time Vyse finally got out of the cabin they could now see where the fire was coming from.

"Oh no," was all Vyse could say.

It was Pirate Isle.

The place was a mess. Small fires were dotted here and there and almost all the building had been badly damaged. Some, such as the once proud windmill that had been the Islands Trade mark, where totally in ruins.

And in the centre of the carnage on a flagpole, flapping in the wind, was the flag of the Valuan Empire.

"Oh my God," Aika whispered, before burying her face into Vyse's Uniform.

Vyse could only put a comforting arm around her as he stared out over the remains of what he called home. The only thing he could think was;

"_If they hurt anyone they've taken, they will pay. As long as I live, by the moons they will pay."_


	6. Rescue Plans

Sorry this is a bit late, couldn't log on until now.

**NOTE: I ADDED TWO CHAPTERS LAST TIME I UPDATED, SO IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND CHECK STORIES FOR UPDATES ONCE A MONTH, GO BACK ONE TO READ CHAPTER FOUR**

Sorry, about that, it's just sometimes I do that and people get lost.

Kay, bit OOCness in this one, so sorry about that.

R&R please!

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 5**

**RESCUE PLANS**

When the Meridian landed on the upper dock, the found the place to be even more of a mess close up than on the boat.

A few buildings, like Vyse and Aika's houses, still stood, even though Aika's entrance was blocked by a tree.

The Dojo was in ruins and aflame, as was the windmill, the farm where they grew their food and the garden be hind Vyse's grandmother's house.

The flag of the Valuan empire flapped strongly in the wind, next to a smouldering crater, left by by the powerful guns of a Valuan Warship.

"I guess this was where that battle fleet was heading," Aika muttered sadly.

Vyse said nothing. He was feeling angry inside. his curled up fist was shaking badly.

He looked around, taking in the scene, watching the village he had called his home ablaze.

As he looked around he spotted movement.

Placing a hand on one of his cutlass's he slowly inched his way towards the crater.

"Who's there?" he called, still inching uncertainly towards the crater.

"Vyse?" a croaky voice said, "Vyse, is that really you?"

Vyse blinked as he realised who it was.

"I've found Ben," he called to Aika, "Come here quick,"

When they reached the edge of the crater they found Ben the Lookout.

He had obviously fallen in after the shot had been fired, and he looked pretty bad.

After Vyse and Aika pulled him out they helped him into a sitting position he told them what happened.

"It was the Armada," he said, his eyes full of pain as he remembered the event, "They came out of nowhere and bombarded us for quarter of an hour. Quarter of an hour! With the children playing outside too!

Your dad had all the women and the kids evacuate to underground. The plan was to escape on the Albatross.

But they somehow found the entranceway into the port.

The Captain knew they would kill everyone if they fought, so he surrendered, and they took him and all the men with them. I saw it all from that crater. They destroyed the Albatross, The captain was devastated.

They left me for dead because I was hit in the first wave of attacks."

"Are all the women and children okay then?" asked Aika,

"Oh yes," replied Ben, "Mackenzie kept his word,"

"Mackenzie?" Vyse gasped, "As in Big Guns Mackenzie? He's the Admiral of the Fourth Fleet, head of the Armada's Heavy Artillery division."

Aika sat by Ben deep in thought.

"We have to go down to the port and see if everyone's ok," she finally said, standing up.

"What about Ben?" asked Vyse, also standing up, "We can't just leave him here!"

"That's ok dears," Said a old voice, "Just bring him in here and I'll look after him,"

Vyse whirled around to see his Grandmother standing on the door of her house, leaning heavily on her walking stick, smiling kindly.

"Granny!" Vyse said in surprise, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be down in the port with the others?"

"I may be old," his Grandmother muttered, "but just because the Lord of the Valuan Armada is at the doorstep, trying to blow us up, doesn't mean to say I'm going to die in the port below. If I'm going to die, then I'm going to die in my own house. Now bring that young man in and then you go down below and speak to your mother, I sure she's worried sick about you.

* * *

After helping Ben into Granny's house Vyse and Aika , headed down the slope towards the secret entrance to the port.

"Do you think they'll be happy to see us?" Aika asked.

"If I know my Mum," Vyse said taking out a cutlass, "she'll think like my dad and have guards posted on this door, so stay behind me.

Bracing himself, he pushed at the rock face, witch slightly decompressed. A few seconds before the door fully opened a female cry of anger suddenly filled the air, and out of nowhere a blade sliced downwards, aimed at Vyse's head.

Much to his attackers surprise though, the attack missed, hitting the combined steel and moonstone of Vyse's sword.

"Hello Maybel," Vyse said blankly, "Nice to see you again too."

Someone gasped from the shadows as the sword bearer came into the light.

As Vyse expected, his Attacker was Maybel, the only female Raider of this faction of Blue Rogues.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"I found Ben in the midst of the wreckage of the village," Vyse explained, "He told us that the Valuan Armada took all the men, so I figured you'd be left behind."

"Genius here, also figured," Aika continued, stepping out from behind Vyse, "That Vyse's Mum would post a guard on this door, it seemed logical for you to be that guard."

"You two are cleverer than you look." she said with a smile.

Just then they heard a small scream of joy and before Vyse knew it he found Lindsi, one of the three children on the island, hugging his legs.

"Vyse," she said, still clinging on for dear life to her friend, "We thought we'd never see you again."

Vyse smiled and slowly detached himself from the little lost girl.

He and Lindsi had had a friendship since she was five. She usually came to him with her problems, and he would do his best to sort them out for her.

Kneeling down he took her tiny hands in his and smiled.

"Of course I came back Lindsi, have I ever let you down?"

She simple looked down at her dirty yellow dress and smiled sheepishly.

"No, she replied, then looked up at him seriously, "but the ships came from the North and that was where you had gone, we were afraid you had run into them."

Vyse sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes, with his thumb, before giving her a reassuring hug to calm her down.

"Where's Mrs. Dyne?" Asked Aika, while this was going on.

"She's in the Captains office," Maybel muttered, watching the scene between Vyse and Lindsi unfold, "You better go and see her Vyse, she worried sick."

Vyse looked up and nodded, before slowly uncoupling Lindsi's arms from around his neck.

"I have to go and see my mum now," he said to her, "Go back to your mum and we'll talk later ok?"

Lindsi wiped her eyes and nodded before running of to find her mother.

As Maybel looked on after him as he left for the office, all she thought was;

"_He'll make a great father one day._"

* * *

Vyse and Aika found his mother in his dad's former office, sitting in a chair, her head resting on the table, crying softly.

"Whoever you are," she cried into her arms, "Go away! I don't want to see anybody!"

"Well I would," Vyse said, smiling as best he could, "but I heard you were upset so I thought I better come in to try and cheer you up."

Vyse's mother looked up slowly, hardly daring to believe what she heard.

She looked a mess. Her usually neat hair was now falling in front of her face, her cheeks stained with her tears.

"Vyse?" she asked, staring blankly at him, "Vyse, is that really you?"

"You're the third person today whose asked me that," he replied with a slightly forced laugh, "And I wasn't a different person when the first one asked me, and I'm not a different person now."

She smiled at him, before getting up from her chair and running over to him, embracing him tightly.

"You both alright," she said joyfully, "Thank the moons your both alright."

Vyse rolled his eyes at Aika as he patted his mothers shoulder for comfort.

"We're both ok Mrs. Dyne," Aika said gently smiling at her.

She looked up from her embrace and nodded smiling.

"Alas," she said, looking said again, "if only your father and the rest of the men were here,"

She broke apart from Vyse before going to sit down at the table again; her hands folded in her lap.

Vyse and Aika glanced at each other before Vyse went over and dropped to one knee beside her.

They just stared into each other's eyes, as though they were probing the others thoughts.

As he continued to look into his mother's eyes, Vyse realized something.

"Your hiding something from me," he said finally, standing up, "aren't you?"

She looked up at him, her eyes full of pity. He looked down at her, his eyes showing that he already knew what was coming.

"I didn't want to tell you," she said, suddenly avoiding his constant stare, "Because I know how you feel about her,"

Aika saw the colour drain from his face, she knew what was coming.

"For whatever the reason," Vyse's mother said with a heavy sigh, "the Armada has recaptured Fina, along with the men."

She then looked back at Vyse to see his reaction.

He said nothing for a long time. His eyes were full of hot rage, his fist was shaking from anger of what he had heard.

He said nothing, closing his eyes to calm himself.

Finally Aika spoke up timidly, "In Valua, the punishment for piracy is death! Fina will be executed along with everybody else!"  
"We... we can't let that happen." Vyse clenched his teeth together, feeling his stomach churn into knots.  
"But what can we do, Vyse?" Aika asked, at a loss.  
"What do you think we're gonna do!" he replied, whirling around to face her, fire in his eyes "We're going to Valua and we're going to save everybody! Dad, Fina, and all our men...they're coming home!"  
"Are you serious...?" his mother gasped, obviously mortified.  
"Mom," Vyse said as quietly as he could, trying not to focus his anger on somebody, "We can't let things end like this. As long as we're alive, Dad and the others still have a chance. I know it won't be easy to rescue them, but it's not impossible! I have to give them a chance! I will!"  
"Acting fast and rushing in are two entirely different things..." she replied, after a moment. "That's what your father always said. Please, you two...stay here the night, and formulate a basis for a plan. After that...tomorrow...I'll allow you to set out."  
Vyse's anger faded slightly and smiled at his mother.

"Thanks mum," he said, smiling  
"Just... be careful, Vyse…" She gazed up at him with teary eyes. "I don't want to lose you, too."

* * *

The next morning came all too soon. It was early when Vyse and Aika got up, but a thick fog had risen during the night and made things darker...almost appropriately so. Vyse sat in his makeshift bed in his father's office, staring down at the handkerchief and ring Fina had given him. He was actually examining the Handkerchief itself right now. It was soft, silky, like a Moonstone, and smelled faintly of vanilla and jasmine...just as she did. 

The ring sat beside him, it's circuit patterns still shining slightly for some reason, as though it could read his mind.  
Noticing the ring, he picked it up and laid it in his hand just staring at it.

"_This is all my fault._" he thought to himself angrily, "_I got her caught up in this mess. I'll never, ever forgive myself if they hurt her!_"

"Vyse?" a small voice said from the doorway, "Are you ok?"

Vyse looked up from his anger to see Lindsi standing in the doorway, looking at him shyly.

He did his best to smile, clasping the ring in his hand,

"Lindsi," he said shakily, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were leaving soon so I came to say goodbye," she replied, smiling back. She then noticed that the handkerchief beside him and that he was holding something tightly in his hand.

"What are you holding?" she asked, coming closer.

"Oh this?" he opened his hand for her to see, "It's something Fina gave…me." He trailed off, feeling sudden pangs of remorse.

"It's glowing," Lindsi said, looking at the ring with puzzlement, "why is it glowing?"

"I don't know," he replied, feeling tears beginning to well up in his eyes. As he did so, the ring began to glow more intensely.

"Your thinking about her now, aren't you?" She said looking up at him.

He couldn't say anything; he just nodded, the tears rolling down his cheeks.

"She was my responsibility," he said finally, "My dad put me in charge of her. I failed in that. And now I'm afraid I might lose her, my dad and the rest of the crew, all because I failed"

She looked up at him and took his hand.

"Will you promise me something?" she asked,

Vyse wiped his eyes and looked at her.

"Promise me you'll come back home, alive. Promise me you'll come back with all our dad's and the rest of the crew. And promise me that one day, you'll tell Fina the way you feel about her?"

He smiled and nodded.

"Your pretty smart for a ten year old," he said.

"I thought that seeing you've help me with my problems, I might as well try and help you with yours as well." She replied mildly.

They both smiled at each other and hugged tightly, before he slung a small rucksack over his shoulder, wrapped up the ring and walked out of the door.

* * *

Five minutes later Aika and Vyse were out in open sky, on their way to Valua in the Meridian.

Vyse stood on deck, looking out into the sky, half-smiling to himself as he thought of his conversation with Lindsi.

He looked determined as he looked north towards Valua.

"Hold on Dad," he thought, "hold on Fina, I'm coming, and I'll do whatever it takes to get you free, I promise!"


	7. The Captain, MidOcean And The Grand Line

**CHAPTER 6**

**THE CAPTAIN, MID-OCEAN AND **

**THE GRAND LINE**

The fog still over shadowed everything, it was like try to see through pea soup.

"How are we supposed to get to Valua in this weather?" Aika called over the wind, "And why is it this foggy anyway? it's never this foggy at this time of the Lunar cycle."

"I don't know," Vyse yelled back, But I'm gonna reduce speed, if we're not careful, we might hit something."

"Yeah like that island over there,"

Vyse looked up from lowering the sail,

"Island?" he called, "What island?"

"That Island on your left idiot," came the reply.

From what Vyse knew of the area, they should have been near the entranceway to a cavern that led to a place called Sailors Island. And from what he knew, the only nearby island was Shrine Island.

It was then he heard it, a strong, high-pitched sound coming from the starboard bow.

Upon looking he gasped.

Aika! That's not an island! Whatever it is, it's alive!"  
"Huh? What the...?" Aika peered over the edge, then suddenly gasped. The thing was now outlined in a purple light, and they could see its red eyes through the thick mist. There was no doubt what kind of a creature it was.  
"An Arcwhale?" Vyse exclaimed, shocked. "That thing's huge! I've never seen one so big before!"  
"You'd better hope it doesn't see us...but...we're in a hurry!" Aika stomped her foot. "What do we do?"  
"What do you think? We wouldn't stand a chance against that thing with the Meridian!" Vyse replied, making a dash to secure anything that wasn't already bolted down. "The boats not equipped with cannons, we've gotta retreat!"

At that moment the Arcwhale opened its wide mouth, a purple substance beginning to form in its mouth.

"I think…it saw us," Aika said quietly,

The giant Arcwhale suddenly threw the purple substance from its mouth.

It was icy cold and shook the Meridian apart at the seams.

The constant blast got more and more powerful, making the little boat shake violently.

At the height of the attack, the Meridian suddenly burst apart, throw Vyse out of its remains and into deep sky.

All he could feel was the effects of gravity as he was pulled down, before hitting something wooden and passing out.

* * *

"Vyse? Vyse are you ok? God Vyse don't leave me now!"

Vyse looked, up his vision clearing.

Staring at back at hit was Aika, almost nose to nose.

"Hi Aika," he said weakly, "how ya doing?"

She smiled at him, grateful that he was ok.

"I was worried," she said quietly, "when you fell out of the Meridian I was sure you were dead, but then this ship came out of nowhere and…"  
"Humph. So you finally decided to get up. About time."  
Vyse sat up, realising he didn't know this new voice talking to him. He rubbed at his eyes again, then looked up.  
Looming in front of the both of them was a massive man who, while obviously well aged, was both densely muscled and quite intimidating. His skin was lightly tanned and worn by years of extremely hard labour, and wrinkled fairly well around his face. His features were sharp and dominant; he had a square jaw, beaky nose, and heavy brows that shaded his dark brown eyes almost ominously. His right eye, like Vyse's was covered in an eye-patch -- but this patch was a real one. The fact that traces of a scar peeked out from under it and that he had no eyebrow growing there were indicative of the fact that the old man had, indeed, lost an eye. A thick beard and heavy moustache flowed together up into his full head of hair, which was a snow white and long enough to be pulled back into a small ponytail. He wore simple, dark green attire of a fisherman and around his large brawny waist with a massive brass belt. But his most distinctive feature was his right arm...  
It was obvious the man had, at one point in his life, been in a very bad accident. Not only was his right eye missing, but his right arm was as well. An artificially created one, an arm of bronze that was completely mechanical, had replaced it. It was huge, and almost dragged on the ground. Vyse had never seen anything like it in his life.  
" What's going on...?" Vyse asked,  
"Don't you remember..." Aika asked, surprised. "There was this huge Arcwhale. It blew us off course."  
"Huge Arcwhale?" the man gasped, "that's the understatement of the year! I been chasing that damned beast for years." The old man jabbed a finger at Vyse. "I had the perfect shot at him, but _you_ got in my way! Debris from your little hunk of junk you called a ship hit my sails...I'm lucky I'm still airborne. I spent half the morning tossing all that was left overboard. Now I'm stuck with the two of you. Must be my lucky day."  
Vyse's heart sank. "Our ship, was destroyed?"  
"Aye. There ain't nothing on this world that can survive a direct hit from that abomination. Your lucky I saved you, boy."  
Vyse stood, smiling. "So you did save us? Thanks a lot!"  
The old man looked enraged. "...Thanks?" he roared, "Thanks, you say? Don't get cocky with me!" He cocked his artificial hand back, then punched Vyse square in the stomach. The rogue went tumbling back and hit the deck, clutching his stomach.  
"Hey!" Aika sprung to her feet, fuming. "What are you doing, you crusty...uh...rusty old man! Vyse didn't do anything wrong!"  
"Did you hear me, lass?" the man roared, turning on her, "He ruined my shot! I've been hunting Rhaknam since before you was born! Don't be ignorant, I ain't got tolerance for it!"  
"I'm really sorry...that you missed your shot..." Vyse mumbled, feeling rather lousy regardless of pain. "Really...I wasn't trying to obstruct it. It's kinda hard to steer clear of something you can't see"  
"Humph. Well, I'll tell you one thing right now," the old man replied, leaning over Vyse threateningly "This ain't a passenger ship. If your gonna sail with me, you'll have to pull your own weight. Got it? And if you don't like it, you can jump overboard. I have to keep the load as light as possible anyway"  
The two nodded, silently. He studied the both of them hard for a moment, before walking past them towards the cabin. "Good." He muttered, "Now follow me to the bridge. There's plenty of work to do."

* * *

Before long, Aika was swabbing the decks Vyse was moving heavy crates around all over the ship. It was tiny and old, a classic model that had been quite popular with fishermen during The Valuan Nasr War, but She was in much better shape then even some of the ships that were built today in Vyse's opinion. The bowels of the ship reeked of rotten fish, and it took Vyse every bit of concentration to ignore it. He wished he was up on deck with Aika, in the fresh air, and not pushing around smelly old boxes.  
"Humph." Said a gruff voice, "Looks like you got more than just lubber on your bones, boy" Vyse looked from the crate he had been pushing and saw that the man had been watching him.  
"Heh, My dad had me do grunt work like this on the ship all the time," he replied.  
"Hmm..." The old man's one, dark eye studied him. "You're an air pirate, ain't ya? What would two air pirates be doing' travelling alone?"  
Vyse looked away. "We have our reasons." He hesitated, then added, "...Sir. I know this will seem a bit stupid to ask from my position, but...could you...possibly...give us passage to Valua?"  
"Valua, huh?" The old man raised his good eyebrow. "Explain."  
So Vyse told the old man his story, of the Valuan attack on Pirate Isle, the capture of his friends and family, and the appearance of Fina, and the promise's had made to Lindsi, save the one about admitting his feeling to Fina. When he finished, he looked at the old man helplessly.  
"And that's why we need to get there. We can't do it without a ship...but I'm not giving up so easily! Please, we need your help..."  
The old man studied him for a moment, before tuning around for the stairs, muttering as he went; 

"Humph. Get back to work. Let me know when you're done." With that, the he went back up the stairs and was gone.  
"Great..." Vyse muttered as he continued to move the supply boxes, "I spill my guts, he keeps quiet, and then puts me right back to work. What's with this guy? I don't have time for this...but I guess I've got no choice."  
" A few minutes later Vyse finally finished hauling the crates to the hold, before trudging up the stairs to the bridge.

"The…Crates…are where…you asked…them to be…sir."

Vyse panted, obviously totally exhausted.

"Very good boy," the old man muttered, not tuning around from looking out the forward window.

"Now take the helm."

Vyse looked up from his tiredness.

"You're joking?"

"From what I've heard you're a pretty sailor from the way you've been talking. I want you to prove it."

Vyse emitted a sigh of relief and almost ran to the helm, if he hadn't been so tired.

"However!" The old man continued, holding his bulky artificial arm out to stop him, "If you _are _just talk, you'll be moving crates around for the rest of the trip, CLEAR!"

"Yes captain perfectly clear," Vyse said quietly as the old man moved his arm.

"Hm… the dials are really old but are kept in great shape, and…" he twisted the wheel experimentally, "the wheels really responsive, I bet this ship can make some really tight turns."

"For someone who's never flown a ship of this size before, you sure know a great deal about piloting one," the man said gruffly.

Vyse raised his eyebrows in surprise, was that a compliment?

"I spent a lot of time on the bridge of the Albatross," he replied, "I learnt a few things,"

"The Albatross?" the old man stood up slightly straighter.

"Are you related to Captain Dyne of the Blue Storm?"

"You know him?"

"By reputation only," he muttered, "our destination is Sailors Island, about forty kilometres due north from here."

"Hey wait!" Vyse said quickly, "Could you at least tell me the name of this ship? And yours for that matter?"

The old man looked at him before grunting and saying,

"Huh, the name of the ship is 'Little Jack' and I'm Drachma, now get moving!"

"Aye Aye, Little Jack, Full steam ahead!"

* * *

Fina was led to the bridge of the ship, her hands shackled behind her back. She looked down just putting one step in front of the other, a Valuan guard poking her in the back with his sword.

"Here is the Prisoner as you requested Admiral," he said.

"Very good," said a tired sounding voice, "You may leave us now."

The guard hesitated for a moment, before saluting and turning sharply in a brisk, military fashion.

"Greetings Miss Silvairian, It's a pleasure to meet you,"

Fina's eyes widened slightly and looked up for the first time, at the man in front of her.

He was a young man, no older then his early thirties. His hair was dark brown with matching eyes, the latter of which seemed tired and unhappy at the situation.

He wore a long sleeved, tight fitting, black turtle-necked shirt, which poked out of a dark blue tunic.

The tunic was again, tight fitting, and had decoration around the arm cuffs with four gold stripes. On either shoulder were two small golden metal pads, from which his Admiral tassels hung straight down his back.

The tunic was fastened by six gold buttons, and roughly went down to the belt.

Poking out of the bottom of his tunic was a pair of tight black Admiral's trousers, which finished in a pair of black leather boots that went up to just below his knees.  
"How…How do you know my name? She stammered.

"The answer to that will come in time," he said sighed, "My name is Admiral Daniel Mackenzie, Admiral of the Fourth fleet and Chief of the Armada's Heavy Artillery division. With Admiral Vadeck's failure to capture you I was dispatched by Lord Admiral Galcian himself to find you. I'm not sure why we are after you, however I believe it has something to do with Moon Crystals and the power they possess?"

Fina said nothing, looking away slightly.

"It seems Belleza was right," he said with a sad smile, "I'll have to treat her to dinner sometime."

Fina finally looked up, her eyes stained with tears.

"Why did you destroy the Village?" she asked, "There were children playing, someone could have been killed.

The Admiral flinched.

"I have a sense of duty Miss Silvairian, but I also have a sense of justice. I was ordered by Lord Galcian to find the Silvite, capture the Air pirates that took her, and kill anyone else."

He turned to her, a small smile on his face.

"Say what you will about me Fina, but I despise bloodshed. I spared the women and children because they are innocents. I destroyed the Village to make it appear as though I had carried out those orders."

His smile disappeared as he turned to the main windows.

"We shall reach Valua in half a day, in the mean time you enjoy the Comforts of the best quarters I can provide, because you're not going to have luxury like this for a while."

* * *

Sailor's Island was longer that it was wide.

It was full of shops and also included a tavern and an Inn.

The dock itself was almost full with boats from all over the known world, from Valua and Nasr, to little fishing boats from outlying islands in Mid-ocean.

It was said that Sailors Island was the Nasrad of mid Ocean, as it was a vast trading post for the area.

"I've never been here before," Aika said as she looked around the small town with wonder. "It looks like this place could be a lot of fun,"

"Good," Drachma grunted, "then you won't mind if we part ways here. Good luck and all that."

"Huh?" Aika cried, "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean what do I mean?" Drachma grumbled, "I've got to go and find Rhaknam and in the mean time find a cannon big enough to take him out with."

"You mean your stranding us her!" Vyse gasped.

"I believe that's what I said," Drachma said mildly, "Now if you excuse me, I've got to see if I can find any information in the tavern."

"He can't do this!" said Aika, exasperated.

"Well it is his ship, I guess he do what he likes with it," Vyse sighed, staring after his former captain. As he stared he suddenly had an idea.

"But that doesn't mean to say we can't manipulate him into taking us,"

Aika's face suddenly lit up as it clicked what they had to do.

Over the next half an hour the two young Rogues searched the town for some information that could help them.

By the end of that time however, all they had found was a balloon with a message in a bottle attached to it for someone called Queyta.

"It's no use," Aika said, collapsing beside the local Ship parts shop in despair, We'll never find any information on a cannon that will help us."

"Well why in the name of the six moons didn't come to me?" said a new voice.

Vyse and Aika looked to see a quirky looking man standing before them. He had fluffy hair, a chain around his neck and a sort of visor like pair of glasses.

"I deal in cannons for gods sake, you want info on them I'm your man!"

"He's right," said Vyse, turning on Aika, "how come you didn't visit him?"

Aika looked slightly embarrassed and brushed a bit of hair behind her ear.

"Thought you were going to see him," she said mildly.

Sighing in defeat, Vyse turned to Parts dealer.

"We're looking for a fairly large cannon," he said, "Something that could capture something, like an Arcwhale."

"Hm…" the dealing looked thoughtful for a moment, stroking his chin, "Well, a friend of mine from Valua was saying about someone selling something called a 'Harpoon Cannon' in Lower City."

"What it is, it this huge Spear-like thingy, that you attach to the front of your ship," he said, showing them with his arms, "and you then fire this Spear-like thingy at a target and here's the cleaver thing, you can reel it back on a long piece of steel chain, very handy if you ask me 'cos it saves on ammo."

"Really?" said Vyse arching an eyebrow at Aika, who nodded in understanding, "thanks for the information."

"No Problem," The dealer said with a smile, "if you're ever in town again come see what parts I can sell to ya!"

"Did you hear that Vyse?" Aika said with an exited squeak as they walked back up to the tavern, "with this information we can ask Captain Drachma to…"

"To do what?" asked a gruff voice.

Vyse looked up to see Drachma standing in the road.

"If it's anything to do with me taking you to Valua forget it! You don't sail with me therefore I don't need to take you to Valua."

"Aw gee that's to bad," Aika said winking at Vyse as she went on, "We've just found out about a cannon that could take out Rhaknam, but seeing you don't sail with us anymore I guess it doesn't matter."

Drachma froze and stared at the two of them.

"What did you say?" he said.

"You know I was really amazed when I first saw Rhaknam," Vyse said walking into the tavern, with Aika following and Drachma behind, clinging onto every word, "I thought he was Invincible. But when I heard about this new cannon, I realised that that could probably take him out."

He smiled at Aika as he sat down at the bar looking around at the few occupants as though Drachma wasn't there.

"Gee Aika," he said to her pleasantly, "I wonder if someone here could give us a lift into Valua? We sure could use it."

"Are you trying to Bargain with me boy?" Drachma roared, thumping his great mechanical arm on the counter.

"Well," replied Vyse, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Seeing you put it so adequately, yes."

"I think I heard something about that," the barkeeper, a dark skinned women with red hair, said, Leaning on the bar, "Some Valuan soldiers came in here bragging about a weapon which could destroy a small Island."

"I hope your not lying to me Polly, and siding with these kids!" Drachma said irritably.

"When Drachma," said Polly, putting her hands on her hips in mock hurt way, "have I _ever_ lied to you?"  
Drachma said nothing but stared at the counter deep in thought.

"Besides," she continued, "I've run this tavern for 20 years and I know cheats and liars when I see them."

Drachma sighed in defeat,

"Oh all right," he muttered, "You'll have to work all the way there, but I'll take you to Valua."

"You will?" cried Aika excitedly, bouncing up and down, "That's great, Thanks 'Captain'."

"We'll need a few things first," he muttered, "First, we need a Vaulan Passport to get in and I don' have one. Secondly, we might have to go into Upper City, so we'll need some proper clothes on a just in case basis."

"I think I might be able to help you there," said a voice with a heavy Nasrean accent.

Vyse looked around to find an old man standing before him.

He was short and had white hair and beard which seemed to meld with the simple white clothing he wore. Perched on top of his kind looking face was a little yellow hat with tassels hanging from the back.

"I happen to be a clothes dealer, just come back from trading with Valua." he said staring up at Vyse as if studying him, "Therefore I not only have clothes for you, but I also have a Valuan Passport. I have but one simple request and I will give you clothes for the boy and the passport for free."

"Why just Vyse?" said Aika, stoutly.

"I am a clothing dealer in men's clothes only, I'm afraid my lady," he said sadly, "And with all due respect to the Good Captain, I'm afraid I have nothing in his size,"

"Very few people do," Drachma muttered under his breath.

"But that means Vyse will be alone if we have to go into Upper City!" said Aika, with a hint of exasperation.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Drachma rumbled, "Prisoners are kept in Lower City. "The only reason we'd have for going into Upper City at most would be for food anyway. I hate Upper City, but the foods better than it is in Lower City," And he made a face as if remembering a unpleasant face as if remembering it.

"What is it that you ask of us in return?" Vyse asked cautiously.

"As I said before," the Nasrean began, "I have just returned from Valua. I was stopping here to see if I could sell a few of my wares and a person like you for this favour. I've heard recently from the Sailors Guild that Baltor the Black Bearded, Has been seen near the only entrance to Nasrad, the South Dannel Strait, and patrolling the Stone Reef nearby, the Grand Line."

"I've heard of him," said Vyse, "I saw his face on the wanted list in the Sailors Guild when I visited it."

"He's a nasty bit of work, that Baltor," grunted Drachma, "He as some of the most powerful cannons of all the black pirates."

"Which brings be to my condition, in return for the Passport and Upper City Clothes for the Young one, I simply ask for you to protect me on my way home."

Vyse looked thoughtful for a moment, as if considering his options.

"If you accept," the Dealer continued, "I will give you the clothes now as a sign of good faith."

Vyse sighed and looked at the Dealer with a smile.

"It's a deal then," he said.

"You accept?" the dealer looked surprised, before smiling and bowing very low, "You are indeed wise beyond your Years young one. If you will come to my ship I will fit you out now."

* * *

Five minutes later Vyse stood before Aika and Drachma in his new uniform.

Aika gasped when she saw him.

"Hey it suits you boy," Drachma said gruffly.

Vyse sighed. He wore black trousers and long sleeved with gold trimmings at the sleeves that clung to his arms. His feet were covered with a pair of armour-plaited boots that went up to his knees and over the shirt he had buckled a piece of armour worn only by members of the Valuan Court. The armour only covered his back, chest and shoulders but would probably give him more protection than the usual stuff he wore. To complete the outfit, a silver rapier with gold handle was sheathed at his side.

"How do you feel?" Aika asked timidly.

"It's actually more comfortable than it looks," he said with a smile, before putting on a ridiculous impression of Alfonso.

"But who are you to ask me that wench! I am of much higher status than you are!

"Nasrad it due east from here," Drachma muttered as Aika attempted to smother a fit of giggles, "If we leave now we can reach it by lunchtime, and then reach Valua by nightfall."

* * *

After Vyse had changed back into his regular uniform they set off with the Dealer in tow.

It was all very quiet on the bridge. Drachma had decided to take an afternoon nap, telling Vyse to wake him up if there was any sign of Baltor.

Around half way though the trip Aika finished her chores and came up to talk to Vyse.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

Vyse tuned around to acknowledge she was there before turning back to steering the ship.

"I'm depressed," he said, "we don't know what's going on in Valua, what's happened to Fina, Dad or anyone else from the crew. We didn't find out anything at Sailors Island, I just think that this might be going a little out of our way."

She smiled kindly and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"They'll be ok," she said, "I know they will."

He smiled back at her and was just about to reply when he saw something in the distance.

"It figures," he muttered.

"What is it?" Aika said, looking though the window.

"You better wake the Captain," Vyse said quickly, "It's Baltor!"

* * *

The black sails of the Blackbeard loomed into view. The ship was roughly the same size as the Albatross, but the height of the mast made it taller and the ship had twice, maybe three times as many cannons as the Dyne's former vessel.

"This is gonna be a hard battle boy," Drachma rumbled as he came onto the bridge, "We're out manned and out gunned. However, if what I know of Baltor to be correct, he relies more on offence than defence. You keep piloting the ship, and Aika and me will man the cannons.

"Aye aye," the Rogues yelled.

At that moment a cannonball flew over the main deck, miss the Little Jack by inches,

"Well, we better fire back soon, or we won't be able to defend ourselves," cried Aika.

Pretty soon the air was thick with cannon fire as the two ships traded blows.

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up Captain!" Vyse yelled as a cannon ball whizzed though the front window, showering him with glass.

"Time to use something drastic then!" Drachma yelled back, "Boy, at the back of the bridge you should find two cylinders next to two hatches, I want you to put the ship on alto-pilot and load the cylinders into the hatches. They should fire automatically."

Vyse saluted before locking the wheel and heading for the back of the bridge.

"What's he gonna fire?" Aika yelled as loaded another cannon.

"If it works," Drachma called back, "Something that will finish off Baltor. If it doesn't, may the moons have mercy on our souls."

* * *

Vyse ran though the splintered wood and broken glass finally getting to the back of the ship, just as another cannonball crashed though the side of the bridge, just behind him. 

It was hard to find the hatches that Drachma had described but he found them in the end, only to find one of the doors hanging perilously from it's hinges, a cannonball lodged in the floor beside it.

As the captain said he found two cylinders beside the hatches.

With a lot of effort Vyse managed to slide one cylinder into the unharmed hatch, only to discover it didn't fire.

"_Maybe you have to load both hatches to fire_," he thought.

Ripping what was left of the door from the hatch, he quickly loaded it with the other cylinder, only to find it still would fire.

"COME ON YOU STUPID PIECE OF JUNK!" he yelled at the metal cylinders, "FOR GOD'S SAKE FIRE!" and in his anger he kicked the space in between the two launchers.

With a sudden rush of air and bellow of smoke and sound, the two cylinders shot up and out of sight, throwing a surprised Vyse out of the way as they did so.

* * *

Drachma looked up and smiled as two Torpedoes shot out of the roof of the Little Jack.

"What in the world are those?" Aika gasped in awe.

"Those are torpedoes," Drachma said proudly, "I got them to defeat Rhaknam with, but since I know about this Harpoon Cannon, I don't think I'll need them for that."

"Oh I get it," Aika said with a smile, "They attack from above! And seeing that no ship has cannons from above, it will heavily damage with ease.

Drachma looked up and started to count to ten.

By the time he had finished both torpedoes where easily coming down fast.

"When I say 'now' Lassie," Drachma said quietly, "We're gonna let loose one last heavy volley on the Blackbeard and with any luck, it should damage him enough to force him into retreat."

Aika readied the cannon, watching the torpedoes come ever closer to the Blackbeard.

"NOW!" Roared Drachma.

As the torpedoes blasted through the deck of the Blackbeard, Drachma and Aika let loose a last deadly volley, severely damaging it and sending it, spinning off into the clouds below.

"Do you think he survived?" Aika asked.

"If I know Baltor," Drachma muttered bitterly, "then he'll have reinforced his engines for this kind of situation. He'll be alright, but he won't be around here anytime soon."

"Thank you very much young ones!" called the Clothes merchant as he pulled up along side the Little Jack, "I believe I can carry on home by myself from now on. Here is the Passport as we agreed."

And he threw the passport over, tied to a little stone.

"So this is what a Passport looks like." Aika said with curiosity.

"May the red moon light your way in your coming journey," Called the Merchant, "and will you give my thanks to the young man also."

Aika looked up suddenly with fear.

"Oh God," she gasped, "Vyse!"

* * *

They found Vyse amongst the remains of the Bridge, underneath a plank of wood and some other debris. That had fallen from the roof as the torpedoes fired.

He was alive and well, well enough to make a comment about the torpedo launchers, before Drachma ordered him to the spare bedroom where Aika had been sleeping to tidy himself up.

By the time he had finished and come up to the bridge, most of the damage to the ship had been repaired and they were almost to Valua.

The Guard was suspicious when they gave him the passport, but they finally persuaded him to let them through to the Grand Fortress.

"All those spotlights...they must not want anything to get past."  
Aika looked up at the Fortress with awe as the Little Jack drew close to the structure of titanic proportions. It was the largest manmade object any of them had ever seen, spanning a gap between a ring of mountains for easily fifteen kilometres in either direction. Even more impressive than its breadth was its height; it was as high as the mountains themselves, and went disappearing into the upper cloud layer. This giant fortress was fortified many times over with stone and steel, and looked to be at least a hundred kilometres thick. A gigantic lock gate, easily two kilometres in diameter, was the only way in or out. Surrounding it were stationary turrets mounted on smaller islands nearby, and ironclad battleships patrolled the area like gigantic mountain cats, circling their prey. Giant spotlights were mounted on the wall nearby the gate shone in random directions, illuminating every ship within the area for as far as the eye could see.  
"Ugly great thing ain't it?" Drachma said, "During the Nasr-Valuan war, over a hundred ships bombarded this place for weeks and barely scratched it."

Guess it's powerfully strong by means of defence," Vyse said as he looked at a nearby menacing gun platform.

"Not only that boy," Drachma continued, "It's also got a strong offence. The back of the gate is covered in…well, why don't you see for yourself."

As he indicated to the Fortress, the great hexagonal gate slowly began to rotate on its axis.

"How on Arcadia is it doing that?" Asked Vyse.

"Only the Engineers that built it know that, replied Drachma, "But the most impressive thing about this gate is what's on the other side of it.

Aika and Vyse looked cautiously, fearing of what was on the other side.

And they had good reason to fear it.

The back of the gate was lined with the largest cannons Vyse had ever seen.

"It was those cannons," Drachma said quietly, "That almost destroyed the Nasrean fleet,"

Vyse swallowed as he stared at line upon line of heavy cannons.

Getting out of Valua, maybe harder, than getting in.


	8. Royalty and Ruffians

CHAPTER 7  
ROYALTY AND RUFFIANS

The Throne Room was the most guarded place Fina had ever been too. The walls appeared to be made from pure gold, causing the young girl to squint from the reflected light, and adorned with banners and hangings of the fine royal purple silk. Tall narrow dormer windows provided a view of the dark sky outside, not that it was a good view in the first place. The ceiling high above them was adorned with 3 large crystal chandeliers illuminated the lengthy room. A large, plush red carpet leading to the immensely large throne, which was also made of solid gold and sat atop a raised platform. Perched on it was a most evil looking women she had ever seen.  
She was large, plump, and not at all a figure of beauty. Her widened form looked even wider because of the dress she wore, complete with a hoop skirt. She was small in stature, but had obviously had the platform extended to make it higher to give her a her vantage point to look down at all assembled in the room, peering down over her beaky nose with sharp brown eyes. Her face was wrinkled, and although it looked like she had gone to extent to try and make herself look younger, she still held her head high with dignity nevertheless. Her hair was dyed a powdered purple, and covered with a jewelled cloth, and seemed to ad an extra foot to the top of her head. The dress that made her look so larger than normal was even gaudier than the room she sat within. A dark violet, it had a collar higher than her head and was buckled around her neck with an ivory broach. It was gold-trimmed around her enormous chest, before giving way into layers of gold and purple skirts, over which a final half-layer of red had been placed. The shoulders of the sleeves were large and puffy, but they tapered down to her wrists eventually. A fan of wispy white feathers spread out loftily from behind her, held up by a sisal sash around her waist. In her right hand, she carried the large dominant gold staff of the monarch of Valua.  
A young man, who looked about eight or nine years older than Vyse, sat beside her on the raised platform, in a considerably smaller throne. He wore something similar to what Vyse would wear when he made food trips to Upper City. The armoured boots and the same piece of armour that all members of the royal court wore, however the sleeves of his shirt were slightly looser, showing he was of more importance.

On either arm was a small strip of purple, signifying he was royalty, and his boots were made completely of steel, unlike Vyse's, which were only armour plated, and sitting lightly on top if his blond hair was a small purple beret, with a single white feather near the back.

Upon seeing her, he rose to his feet in concern, for she was bound and shackled, only to shoved back into his chair by the woman's staff. At the foot of the platform stood Galcian, whose head was bowed towards the floor, for it was disrespectful for anyone to look at the Emperor or Empress unless he or she, depending on who was on the throne, allowed it. Countless other royal guards, all clad in purple armour, lined the walls of the room.

On her right stood Admiral Mackenzie, her captor. While not bowing like Galcian, the young man wasn't looking directly at the Empress, preferring to gaze at the top of the throne she sat on. Whether or not the Empress could see his obvious sign of disrespect, or that she simply ignored it, Fina wasn't sure. As she waited for someone to speak, her eyes travelled over to the Lord Admiral, an involuntary shiver going down her spine as she did so.

He was easily the tallest man in the room at least seven feet tall when he was standing up straight, with large broad shoulders and strong, if somewhat eerie features

He looked like a man who had seen death and destruction so many times he had begun to enjoy it. Each line of his face reminded Fina of Ixa'takans and their painstaking work on their statues. Carved hard and deeply set, but it was his eyes that scared her the most. They looked dark and hollow, like staring into an empty pit.

His hair was a dark grey, fading slowly into a pale white towards the back of his head, yet deepening slightly as it wound down to his neatly cut beard, becoming almost black around his predominant chin.

Like most Valuans, his complexion was pale, yet this only added to the sinister aura that surrounded him. His entire form was surrounded by the heavy shroud of the Lord Admiral's cloak, adorned with medals of various shapes and sizes, giving him a slightly demonic appearance with the high collar and the pitch black of it's colour.

Eventually, she couldn't look at him anymore, he just scared her too much.  
"So this is what a Silvite looks like." the woman finally hissed, as Fina was shoved forward onto her knees by one of the royal guards. "An interesting specimen...she's quite pretty, isn't she?"  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Galcian replied, still keeping his head bowed at the floor. "Originally she was captured by your son, Alfonso, however he lost her to the band of air pirates recently put on trial and are to be punished tomorrow morning. Fortunately Admiral Mackenzie was in the area and recovered her for you."  
Fina looked down to hide her tears as the woman, quite clearly the Empress, chuckled. "Excellent, Galcian, excellent, And you Admiral Mackenzie, you both have yet to fail me."

Daniel scowled and rolled his eyes to a nearby window, "Not exactly hard to do you old bat," he muttered under his breath.

But Teodora didn't hear him (Which was probably for the best). she cast her cruel gaze down on Fina, who continued to look at the floor.  
"Silvite," She said, a hint of command in her voice, "Look at me and tell me if you know who I am."

Fina looked up, wiping the tears on her skirt as she rose, to look into the Empress's cruel eyes.

"You are Empress Teodora the first," she said quietly at the hateful women in front of her, "Therefore, I assume that the man beside you is you son, Prince Enrique of Valua."

Enrique stood up again and looked at her intently.

Fina looked back at him.

Had she met him back home she may have easily mistaken him for a fellow Silvite, for his features were delicate and gentle enough to be compared to those of her people; she had never seen so soft-featured a man, not even on her cousin Ramirez, and yet he still looked obviously male. His eyes were curious...so very curious. stormy blue, clouded with small hints of silver, both alive and bright with the light of youth and intelligence. They were definitely her favourite part of him. His hair was a bit on the long side, a light blond that swept back in one continuous flow, some of it left to tumble into his face.

The Empress stared from Fina to Enrique, then to Fina, then back to Enrique, before scowling at her son and shoving him back into his throne with her staff again.

"It seems you've done your homework," she sneered

Fina looked down again "I studied your civilisation for years," she mumbled.  
Teodora raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed,

"I take it you know then, why we brought you here?"

she paused for a moment, as if expecting and answer. When she didn't get it she carried on, "We seek your aid in the building of a better world."

She then laughed cruelly at the mere thought of it. Enrique looked uncomfortable.  
"Mother," he murmured to her, "is this really necessary...?".  
"Silence, Enrique!" she snapped. "I'm doing this for you, you know, I'm building this Empire for you to rule over, so the least you could do is pay attention!"  
Enrique sighed and bowed his head. Fina looked up at him with pity, knowing how it felt to be embarrassed in front of people.

Teodora looked back to Fina, resuming her smug expression. "Now, I would like you to give me a bit of information…" she said, in what sounded like a forced kind voice. "I know that there are six Moon Crystals scattered about the world, and I also know that there are ancient weapons that they can control. I believe your people call them...Gigas! What can you tell me of these creatures, these Gigas?"

Fina said nothing for a moment, before standing up and looking Teodora full in the face.  
"I can tell you that nobody should ever lay their hands on them," she replied sullenly.  
"That is besides the point," Teodora said mildly, waving a hand to dismiss it, "I am not asking you if we should use them. I am _telling_ you we _will_ use them."  
"But you can't!" Fina protested desperately, "You don't understand the power of those creatures, the utter destruction they bring!"  
"Oh, but I do." Teodora smirked, "Which is precisely why Valua must have them."  
"No, no you don't!" Fina was growing more and more desperate as she shook her head wildly. This Empress was being blinded by her lust for power, "The size of a single one of them...they're twice the size of this palace itself. Their power of the weakest one could crumble your Grand Fortress with a single blow. If any single one got out of hand...thousands of innocent people would die!"  
"Go on," Teodora said quietly. She enjoying watching this girl get further and further into a panic

"You don't understand!" Fina continued, "Your entire Armada wouldn't be powerful enough to ever hope to defeat even one then. You.…you lack the technology. The only way to bring down a Gigas is by the use of another Gigas."  
"Interesting. Most interesting." Teodora cackled, looking truly delighted. "Ah, Silvite, you have given me much hope. You will help us to recover these Crystals and the Gigas, yes?"  
It might have been the fact she had been around Vyse and Aika too long, but Fina was feeling hot under the collar and had had enough. She was mad, furious at this woman who wouldn't listen to her even after going through so much trouble to get her here. In an attempt to make herself heard she shouted as loud as she could in the hopes that she could get the Empress to listen. "Why won't you listen to me!" she yelled at her, "The Gigas were the cause of the destruction of the every Civilisation of the Old World! Six great advanced civilisations fell beneath their fury! Power hungry dictators like _you_, are the reason that they should never be touched again in the first place!"

The Empress sat stunned for a moment, her eyes wide.

Enrique also stared in amazement and admiration at Fina.

He had thought that about his mother before when she had first voiced her plan but he would never have said anything like that to her.

Fina just continued to stare the Empress, with a slight sense of pride for some reason, even though she knew that the Elders would frown upon it if she had spoken to them or anyone else in their presence in that way.

Teodora had not said a word since Fina's outburst.

She suddenly began to shake slightly with anger, then finally she exploded with rage!  
"What did you say!" Teodora screamed at Fina, rising to her feet. "How _dare_ you insult me, in my own palace! Off with her head! Off with her head!"  
"No, please listen…" Fina started, in vain.  
"Kill her! KILL HER!"  
"Mother!" Enrique suddenly lurched in front of Fina and blocked her from his mothers staff and the soldiers around her, "You can't kill her, she hasn't done anything wrong!"  
"How can you protect like that, Enrique!" His mother roared, swinging her staff around so randomly she threatened to take her own son's head off with it. "After she insulted me so!"  
"I believe, Your Majesty," Mackenzie said quickly, speaking up at last, a slightly desperate look in his eyes as he finally focused on her, "that it would be prudent to keep her alive."

"I concur with Admiral Mackenzie," Galcian added, "Perhaps we need to show her our other methods of...persuasion."

While he said this Enrique had turned around to see if Fina was alright,

"If this makes you feel any better," he whispered, "I don't really like the idea of ruling though conquest with these Gigas anyway,"

Fina looked into his eyes, and saw that his words were true, making her blink in surprise.

"Enrique!" His mother snapped, "Get away from her!"

He sighed and gave Fina a reassuring wink before heading back up to the raised platform.  
"Galcian has had an idea," Teodora chuckled, "as you know we have also captured those Air pirates scum, we found you with. And tomorrow, we're going to give them a public execution!"

Fina gasped and put her hands to her mouth and Enrique's eyes widened as he shot Admiral Mackenzie a look, who was just looking at the floor, his fist tightly clenched.

"Mother, you can't be serious…" He all but groaned.

"Of course I'm serious Enrique," She chuckled again before turning back on Fina,

"And as for you wench! You'll get a first class seat to watch it all from. You'll be sitting right next to us! You should be honoured. So allow us to show you what happens to people who do not obey us. Go to your room and freshen up. I'll send a guard to fetch you for tomorrow."

"Mother you can't do this!" Enrique protested,

"I am the Empress!" she bellowed, giving her son a look that could of killed angels, "I can do, whatever I want! Now, girl, to your chambers!" Teodora flicked a wrist at Fina, making her feel like a used toy. "I want you prompt and on time for tomorrow mourning, and looking your best at that. You will be sitting with me, after all, as I have said, is the highest honour possible in this world. Put on a dress in there and wear something a little more normal. That outfit you're in is hideous."  
Fina bowed her head and sighed. Her pride, in both her people and herself, had just been flattened. As the guard that had escorted her in began to take her out of the room, she looked back over shoulder at Enrique helplessly. The Prince, who had so quickly become her friend in this bleak country, mouthed to her, "I'm sorry."

* * *

Having split up from Drachma, who wanted to oversee the fitting of the Harpoon Cannon and repairs to the Little Jack, Vyse and Aika had decided to split up again to search for an Inn. And after searching Lower City for half an hour, Vyse could see why Alfonso had used walking through it as an insult.

The place was a mess. The streets were dank, and the a few building had collapsed out of sheer negligence.

To add to the effect, there was no sunlight, whatsoever seeing that all of the Valuan Empire skies were enveloped in a dark menacing cloud created by the electrical, yellow moon.

After a while, he found himself in the most tidy part of Valua he could find, a weapons supply store, which sold many interesting items.

One in particular was a ring.

Unlike everything else in Lower City, the weapons and other various objects in the store were actually clean.

In fact, the owner had just finished polishing the ring and had set it up for show.

Vyse looked at the ring with curiosity.

Engraved on it were two small figures, embracing. It suddenly sparked some emotion in his heart when he saw it.

"Do you like it?" the shopkeeper asked kindly, Vyse looked up to see a kindly old man, with white hair and dark blue eyes, staring down at him.

"I engraved it myself, made from the finest Nasrean steel, and most likely the cleanest object in lower city save yourself of course. I call it the Lover's ring, and I've been saving it."

"Who for?" Vyse asked, looking back at the ring.

"Somebody who wants a ring for the one he loves, but can't give it to her, because he is afraid she will turn you down."

Vyse blinked and looked up at the old man.

"I'm not in love with anybody," he said with a sigh, "I'm just a guy from the wrong side of Arcadia,"

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow and looked at him as though he was stupid.

"That's funny," he replied, "you like your in love to me. Maybe you just don't realise it yourself yet."

"I'm looking for a local inn," Vyse said quickly, trying to get the man off the subject of his love life, "Could you tell me please, if there's one nearby?"

The old man stroked his wrinkled old chin in thought, "Well, the nearest place is Betties down-below," he said,

"Just go down the road from here until you reach the elevator, than take that to down-below, then go straight from there and you'll find Betties place."

"I see," Vyse murmured, his mind elsewhere, "Thank you for your time sir, I am appreciate it."

"Any time boy," he said with a smile.

As he turned to go, the old man suddenly called out to him,

"Oh boy, you forgot this," and he threw the ring into Vyse's open palm.

"I didn't pay for this," Vyse said blankly.

"That's true," the old man said with a smile, "But I think you'll need it sometime soon. Eventually you'll find that special someone my lad. I'm glad I gave it to you."

Vyse smiled and pocketed the ring.

"You're giving me stuff, and I don't even know your name,"

"Consider it a gift," the old man said with a smile, "From one lovesick fool, to another."

* * *

Vyse wondered down the street absentmindedly, the old man's words still ringing in his ears.

He had just found the elevator he had been talking about, when out of no where a pebble flew though the air and hit him round the head.  
Vyse whirled around. A kid of about eleven years old was there across the street from him, leaning casually back against a garbage container as if he hadn't done it. Sticking out so obviously from his pocket was a homemade slingshot.  
He raised an eyebrow at the kid. He was a little big for his age, and though he looked as if he had been around a while and seen it all, he wasn't nearly as emaciated as the other people of the town were. In fact, he even had a fair amount of muscle on him for someone his age. His hair was a messy, matted mop of overgrown red and had thick eyebrows the exact same colour. His face was rounded and broad, adorned with a pert snub of a nose and plenty of freckles and scars. His eyes were blue, and his scowl was a look of intense hatred for the world. He wore a cream-coloured shirt which was falling apart, over which was buckled a green pair of tattered overalls about two sizes too small.  
"Hey!" Vyse asked, a little agitated, "Who do you think you are?"  
"The name's Marco!" the kid replied, with a hint of threat in his voice, "Everybody who's anybody in this town knows who I is! Who are you?"  
"And why should I tell you kid." Came the reply  
Marco snarled. "Who are you calling a kid! At least I'm not a glass-eyed freak" He paused, and eyed them. "You're not from around here. You look like a sailor. A stupid one, at that. Why else would anyone come to a dump like Lower City?"  
"You're a brat you do know that don't you?" Said Vyse, talking as though Marco was as threatening as a feather, "_He reminds me of a certain someone when they were a little kid_." He thought to himself.  
"_Hey, cut her some slack_!" A voice inside his head replied, "_She wasn't this annoying when she was his age_."

"Look, kid," he said, getting slightly annoyed, "I'm very busy right now. I don't have any time to play your pointless, immature games."  
"What!" Marco was furious. " I'll remember this! Fool!"

* * *

It took a while but Vyse finally found Betties place.

He asked for a room for 3, and said that Drachma was paying and would come by later.

"You better be telling the truth," the innkeeper said menacingly, "'cos if your not, I'll be knocking at your door!"

"Ok, ok," Vyse said, just wanting to lie down and sleep, "If they don't come you can throw me out ok?"

And without waiting for an answer he headed up the stairs to his room.

The room itself was dingy, there was nothing in it apart from 3 hard beds and a grey, chipped basin, the water of which didn't looked to healthy.

Sighing to him self, he flopped onto a bed.

He began to think about what the old man had said, about the ring being a gift from one lovesick fool to another.

Slowly he began to realise that the man had obviously been in love at one point, but had left it too late to tell her the way he had felt about her.

He sighed and fished the Lover's Ring out of his pocket.

As the Shopkeeper had said, it looked hand made, from Nasrean steel, with two tiny figures embracing on it.

He didn't know why the old man had called him a 'lovesick fool'. If he ever fell in love with anyone, he would tell her quickly, so he wouldn't lose her to someone else.

But then another thought the man had said entered his mind.

"_Maybe you just don't realise it yourself yet_,"

He put the ring back into his pocket and fished out Fina's ring from his back pocket.

It still shone dimly, the gold of the circuit patterns reflecting off the silver of the ring.

He had only put it on once, but it had given him the power of Eternum, and that was the most powerful spell known to date. What other secrets it held he didn't know.

At that moment Aika suddenly burst into the room, her face looking hot from exhaustion.

"Oh Vyse, she panted, "It's awful. No it's not awful, it's sick!"

Vyse sat up in surprise, "What is it?" he asked with urgency, "What's sick?"

She said nothing for a moment before collapsing into his bed bedside him, tears beginning to run down her face.

"I'll tell you what's sick," the gruff voice of Drachma rumbled as he entered the room, throwing the bag containing Vyse's Upper City clothes onto a bed, "We just found out that your friends are going to be executed at the coliseum tomorrow morning, Or what Valuans call morning anyway. The place is so dark…"

Vyse said nothing but just stared at Aika with wide eyes.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, leaning against his arm for comfort.

Vyse closed his eyes in deep thought.

"I suppose," he said after a moment, "the best course of action would be to break into the Coliseum."

"What?" Aika stood up and stared him as if he was mad, "You mean your not going to try and rescue them now?"

"Valua is a very large place," Vyse stated, "If we tried looking for them now, we might get caught by the Valuan guards and then it will be all over for everyone."

"I hate to admit it," Drachma grunted, ignoring the indignant look Vyse gave him, "but Vyse is right, we can't run around like our heads been cut off, looking for your friends if we don't know where they are."

Aika sighed in defeat but then perked up a little.

"So the plan is," She said, "is we get some sleep, and take are friends right out from under their noses! Sounds like a great plan,"

Vyse smiled and was about to say something when he heard something out side, he turned around just in time to see a slightly familiar face pop out of view.

"Oh no,"

He quickly ran and burst into a balcony looking up just in time to see a freckled face disappear from view.

"Quickly, I need a boost," he cried.

Nodding in understanding Aika ran out and braced herself so the Vyse could boost up to the roof.

He landed perfectly, just as the Eavesdropper jumped down onto the roof of an adjacent building.

Vyse followed him though the winding streets, over building and under bridges.

Finally the eavesdropper stopped at a large manhole at the end of street and started to pull at it, in an attempt to remove it. With one final tug he managed to pull the covering off the hole, falling on his butt in the process.

As he was about to jump in and escape, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed him round the back if the shirt, lifting him off the ground.

"Hey!" he yelled thrashing about, trying to release the iron fast grip on his shirt, "Lemme go, you Glass-eyed freak!"

Vyse sighed as he remembered that highly annoying voice.

"I know you," he muttered, wishing he didn't, "You're that kid Marco from this afternoon,"

"You got that right 3 eyes," the boy screamed, thrashing about even more, "Now put me down, or I'll give you something else to think about besides your friends!"

Vyse said nothing, he just deposited Marco beside the Manhole, and gave him a look of disgust,

"Ow!" the boy moaned, "You didn't have to drop me!"

"Seeing how you know about my friends I assume you know about our plan as well," Vyse said, clearly not impressed of the boy's threats.

"Heh, you got that right," Marco smirked, folding his arms and grinning smugly, "And if I was to rat on you to the guards, then you'd be in trouble!"

"Then I guess we got no choice but to kill you," said a gruff voice.

Vyse turned around to see Aika and Drachma had catch up, also to see Drachma was pointing his Mechanical arm at Marco, with Aika trying to stop him.

"Captain wait!" she cried in alarm, "He's just a kid!"

"Go ahead then, kill me," Marco, said, still smirking, "I don't think even the rats would miss me. The good thing is I won't have to go through the bins to find food every day."

"Good, then you don't have any regrets," Drachma said with a smile.

"Wait Captain," Vyse said holding up his hand, "he might have some information that might be useful to us."

He turned back to Marco, a keen look in his eye.

"What's the hole in the ground Marco?"

"It's the sewers," He mumbled, "It goes everywhere in Valua, It's where I…live,"

"So it leads to Coliseum?"

"Yeah it leads to… Wait, you were Serious!"

"Damm right I was serious," Vyse said quietly.

"That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard!" Marco said, laughing out loud, "That's so stupid! It's stupid to sneak in there normally to free a criminal, but if you're an Air Pirate freeing more Air Pirates? Your more stupid than you look!"

"No," Vyse said, through the continuing laughter of Marco, "I'm an Blue Rogue. And Blue Rogues never give up."

He stared down at the still laughing Marco, a glint of Challenge in his eyes.

"I don't think you were as tough as you want people to let on Marco," he said.

The grubby boy stopped laughing and blinked up at him. "Huh, What do you mean? Of course I'm tough. Everybody…"  
"… whose anybody in this town knows your name," Vyse finished, "Yes I know. But that's not the truth. The truth is behind that tough shell you're a quitter and a coward,"

"What!" Marco roared, getting back to his feet, "You take that back!"

He lunged forward at Vyse, only to be pushed back onto his butt with one hand.

"If you were out sailing," Vyse continued, "and you ran into a storm, I bet you'd try to turn back. 'It's too rough! I want my mommy!' That's what you'd say."

Marco scowled but said nothing for a while.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked averting Vyse's piecing eyes.

Vyse said nothing, he just stared at Marco, before turning back to Aika and Drachma.

"Tomorrow we'll sneak into the coliseum through the sewers," he called to them, " but tonight we should rest,"

"Hey," Marco said, getting to his feet, "What about me? Aren't you going to kill me?"

"By the sounds of it you've given up on life," Vyse said as he walked away, " I just want you to see something interesting first."


	9. Escape From Valua

The begining of this chapter might seem familiar if you've read Tales of the Valuan-Nasr War.  
I own Carlos Meridian. He's MINE! lol.

anyway, enjoy.  
Dearing.

**

* * *

**

CHAPTER 8  
ESCAPE FROM VALUA

"Well hello there handsome. Always the perfectionist I see."

Carlos looked up from adjusting a spoon on the table he was preparing, only to see the amused smirk on Belleza's face.

He simply raised an eyebrow at the remark, before smiling at the Sixth Admiral of the Valuan Armada, his long time child hood friend from Lower City.

"Admiral Rodriguez," he said formally, placing his right fist over his heart in formal salute, "What brings you here so early?"

Belleza smiled and walked up gently to the servant, before gently raising his head with a long gloved finger

"For starters, it's breakfast you idiot," she said with a smile as she gazed into his sky blue eyes, "And what did we say about our names?"

Carlos rolled his eyes as he stood up, "I can lose the formalities around you as long as no one else is around," he recited in a slightly bored tone.

She laughed again, before reaching up and giving him a playful pat on the head, "There's a good boy," she smirked.

Carlos regarded her for a moment, before shaking his head slightly as he went around the Admiral's table, making sure everything was perfect for their group breakfast, usually the time when they had their daily briefing.

Carlos had known Belleza since childhood, for both their fathers had been in the Royal Navy, and both had died in the first battle that began The Valuan-Nasr War.

Also, both their mothers had died of broken hearts.

They had stayed together through thick and thin. They had been joined the navy together, sailed the same vessel for a time, before Carlos was forced into an early retirement during the Final battle of the Valuan-Nasr War. Thus, now he earned his keep, as the Personal servant of the Royal family and was considered one of the most powerful men in Valua.

"Apparently Admiral Mackenzie finally captured the Blue Storm yesterday," Belleza suddenly said, out of nowhere.

She watched as Carlos seemed to freeze for a moment, before resuming his work.

"Captain Dyne?" he asked in a slightly forced calm voice, "You want any information on him or his crew?" when it came to information, you could usually depend on Carlos to know it all, seeing he appeared to have the entire Royal Library, almost every personal file of every Officer in the Navy and every report on Air pirates ever written in his memory.

There were also rumours that he'd joined the Blue Storm during the War. It was only a rumour though.

Apparently.

Belleza shook her head, "No, I want you to tell me everything you know about the Silver Civilization, or The House of Silvairian.

With out a moments hesitation, while piling on the spare cutlery he had brought out with he onto a silver tray, he began to recite a legend from one of his mother's story books.

"The Silver Civilization, or the House of Silvairian as it was known in the Old World, was one of six Civilizations of the Old World. Silvites were experts in welding the powers of life and death, the power of the Silver Moonstone, and so were thought to know the secret to eternal youth and life, although nowadays that is just considered a myth. They were also considered to be the most technologically advanced of all the Civilizations, and were the only people not to go to the war that ended the Old World. Now though it, like every other Civilisation of the Old World, was completely wiped out by some unknown disaster that is only referred to as the Rains of Destruction. They're an extinct race now, no one left," he picked up his tray and headed for the kitchen, "Why do you ask?"

"Admiral Mackenzie captured a Silvite with the Blue Storm," she said casually.

She smirked slightly as the silver clattering against the cold stone floor echoed through the large room.

He turned to her slowly, "Your joking right? The Silvites died out well over two hundred years ago! How can one still be around?"

She sighed, "That's not the half of it. Her name is Fina Silvairian."

"Silvairian?" Carlos gasped, "But isn't that…"

"Captain Ramirez's last name?" she finished with a nod, "Yep, they're cousins."

Carlos ran a hand through his jet black hair as he shook his head in disbelief, "but that means…Captain Silvairian is a Silvite as well?"

"Oh, your right off the ball today aren't you?" Belleza answered, the sarcasm evident in her voice.

"I suppose Master Enrique and Empress Teodora know about her?" he asked as he bent down to retrieve the scattered silverware.

"In fact, I heard that Empress Teodora _wanted_ to find her," Belleza said quietly as she bent down to help him, "She's had the entire Armada out searching for this one girl."

Carlos felt hot anger flush into his face as they rose from the floor, "You make it sound like she's a animal," he said venomously.

"That's exactly what Prince Enrique thought," Belleza murmured as the servant began to walk towards the kitchen again, "In fact, that was a reason I came to breakfast early. He wanted me to give you this, seeing he hasn't seen you since lunch yesterday,"

He looked back and saw she had produced a small note from her pocket, addressed to him.

Setting down his tray back on the table, he took the note from her, unfolded and began to read.

_Carlos (it began),_

_As no doubt Admiral Rodriguez has already told you, Captain Dyne and the Blue Storm were captured yesterday, along with a young girl by the name of Fina Silvairian. I would like you to take a spot of breakfast to her this morning, nothing special, just a couple of pieces of toast and milk or something like that, so she doesn't have to be fed the normal gloop we give our 'guests.' after that, keep her company for a while. Unfortunately Captain Dyne and his crew are due to be executed today at 11 o'clock sharp, and my mother has insisted that Miss Silvairian be there to witness it, to force her into telling her about something I am not at liberty to discuss._

_Please realise that you may be punished by my mother if your found doing this, but I am aware of your views on the Blue Rogues and I will not order you to do something if you don't want to do it._

_She's in Guest Room 35._

_I will see you in the Royal Box at 10:30 before the execution for this unhappy event._

_Yours_

_Enrique Vadeck_

Belleza smiled to herself as he read the note through.

He had really changed since becoming the Servant of the Royal Family. People still treated him like dirt when the Empress or Enrique weren't around, Most of the Admiralty, Minus Daniel, Gregorio and Belleza, still resented the fact he hadn't been thrown onto the streets like they had wanted him too, despite the fact he was now actually higher status then they were. But Carlos being Carlos, he didn't report it in. He just took it, and took it with a smile on his face.

"I have to go now," she suddenly heard Carlos call, "Master Enrique wants me to make Miss Silvairian's ahem…stay here a little more endurable."

Belleza smiled at me, knowing of his feelings on the subject of the Valuan Empire.

"You go make her day Carlos," she called after him, "You go make her day,"

* * *

The next day came far too quickly for Fina, she spent a lot of time, her face in her pillow, crying softly to herself. She was desperately alone and so sad and heart broken.

She would be forced today to watch her new found friends die. She didn't like it, not one bit, and she could see why the Elders had told her not to trust these people.

"But Captain Dyne and the others aren't like the Valuans," she murmured softly, "and neither is Prince Enrique."

Her only comfort right now was that Vyse and Aika had not been there at the attack, she didn't know why, but she kept thinking about the Rogue, how he had shown her around, the way he looked at her sometimes, the way she looked at him sometimes. She had no idea what had come over her. She had given him her ring, to protect him. Maybe he'll remember her by it, because she very much doubted that she'd ever see him again.

A knock on the door and the gentle creaking of hinges alerted her to a presence.

"Whoever it is," she moaned, "Please go away,"

"Well, if you want me to leave I will Miss Silvairian," said unfamiliar voice. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Master Enrique and indeed, myself, just thought you might want a little company this morning."

Fina looked up to see a young man standing by the door, a sliver tray in his hands. On the tray was a couple of slices of toast, accompanied by a knife and a small side dish of butter, finishing off with a cup of milk, as well as a delicate little silver flower in a tiny little glass vase.

If they hadn't been in Valua, she would have sworn she had seen Vyse.

Doubling back though, she saw someone else.

The young man before looked only 20 years old at most. He was around half a head taller than Vyse, and probably slightly taller than Enrique, although he was of a similar build to the Prince.

His hair was neatly cut, curling slightly around his forehead, and was an intense jet black, like the colour of the Stone of the Dark Moon.

Although pale skinned and looking like he'd been through more then one or tough rough patches, his smile was warm and comforting, reaching his eyes with surprising sincerity.

Speaking of which, his eyes reminded her of the sky over Yafutoma, a light sparkling blue, flecked with white here and there. She'd never seen anything quite like it.

His uniform consisted of black leather, knee high boots, with silver straps. Tucked into them were black trousers, which looked fairly formal. He wore a tunic similar in construction to Vyse's, only the sleeves were attached to the rest of it, the six buttons were round and gold, and the jacket itself was completely black, save for a sliver of gold along the hem and the collar.

Under the tunic he wore a white long sleeved shirt, with a black tie around his neck and on his right hand was a single black glove.

Hanging by his side was a sword sheath, concealing the type of sword he had.

"Please sir," she asked timidly, "if I may ask, who are you?"

The young man chuckled slightly.

"You don't have to call me sir," he said as he placed the tray on the table next to him, "I'm just a servant. At least round here anyway. My name is Carlos. Carlos Nathaniel Meridian, but most people just call me Carlos. I am the personal servant of the Royal Family of Valua."

He bowed to her politely, although it seemed like she had seen him before.

She gasped as it hit her,

"You're a slave?"

Carlos stood up and shook his head curtly.

"No I'm a servant…with a title," he said tightly, as though he was slightly offended, "I work in the palace for Master Enrique. I'm his bodyguard, assistant, doctor and sometimes cook if no one else is around. I'm also the fourth most powerful person in Valua. I'd hardly call myself a slave,"

She looked lightly confused.

"If you're his bodyguard, then why didn't I see you in throne room?"

Carlos looked a little unsettled.

"They…they don't allow me in there most of the time, I'm just a servant. They have plenty of guards in there without me."

She nodded and shifted slightly on the bed.

"Is that for me?" she asked, indicating to the tray.

Carlos followed her gaze to the breakfast and suddenly caught on.

"Oh yes, right," he said quickly and picked up the tray.

"Master Enrique's compliments, Miss Silvairian. He thought I could bring you some Breakfast so you could avoid what they would have served you," he said with a smile, "He would have brought it up himself, but since he protected you from his mother's…ahem, wrath, Empress Teodora has been keeping a closer eye on him."

She smiled back slightly back at him, he had a very nice smile.

"Thank you very much," she said quietly, "I would gladly accept any food. Thank you."

His eyes twinkled slightly as set down the tray of toast and butter beside her.

"You know you don't have to call me Miss Silvairian all the time. Everyone calls me by my first name."

Carlos looked at her with a puzzled look, before shrugging.

"As you wish Miss Fina."

She giggled slightly at the confused man.

"No, just Fina. No title. Just my name."

Carlos looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess that makes sense," he said quietly.

"So what's my name?"

"Mi…Fina, just Fina."

She smiled at him as she began to butter the toast.

He gazed at her for a moment. The dress she wore seemed familiar, as though he had seen it before.

He shook his head and glanced at a dress that overhung the end of the bed.

"I take it your not going to change into the dress the Empress provided?"

"This dress I wear represents my people," she said, smoothing out a wrinkle in her own, "It represents my people, just as Prince Enrique's armour represents the Valuan Court. If Empress Teodora does not like my dress, then she will have to force me to wear it,"

Carlos raised an eyebrow in amusement, to which she looked down out of embarrassment, thinking that that might have been something Aika would say.

The servant looked over at the dress again before going over to it and picking it up.

"If I may be so bold," he confessed, "It's not something I would have chosen for you."

Fina looked up in surprise.

"I don't think I could see you in purple," he continued, holding the dress up to himself and making him look ridiculous. "In fact, I don't think this dress even does you justice."

"And what would you have chosen?" Fina asked curiously.

"Personally," Carlos replied, lying the dress back down over the end of the bed and walking back to her, "I think you look just fine the way you are."

He took the small flower from it's vase and gently placed it behind her ear, making her flush slightly.

She smiled and brushed a bit of hair behind her other ear before turning back to her breakfast.

* * *

The Coliseum was worst place Fina had seen in a while.

The cavernous arena was lined with people of both Upper City and Lower City, giving the place a look of mixed dress senses.

From the grand box, She could see an open area, with a large cage where the executed were huddled, as well as a large podium positioned directly in front of her, a rather lethal silver guillotine glinting in the intense artificial light.

The Empress had been extremely angry with Fina when she hadn't put on the dress picked out for her, and almost as equally angry when she found out Enrique had asked poor Carlos to bring her breakfast, for which he was severely beaten because of it.

"The food we would have given her would have been sufficient!" she had screamed at him, "What would your father have thought?"

"He probably would have thought I was doing the right thing," he muttered under his breath when her back was turned.

Fina sighed and clasped her hands to her chest.

She watched with great sadness as a large executioner walked up onto the platform, his armour giving him a lightly demonic look as the lights glances against it's surface.

"Your Royal Highness's, Empress Teodora and Prince Enrique Vadeck," he boomed, "Ladies and Gentlemen, and the scum of Lower City! Welcome to the Execution of Captain Dyne and the Blue Rogues faction, known as Blue Storm!"

A course of boo's and hiss's emanated from the Lower stands, until the Executioner held up his staff pike menacingly for silence.

"The Rogues have been put on trial and found guilty of their crimes," he continued. "And so, for Act's of Piracy against the great and mighty Valuan Empire, Captain Dyne and the Rogues of the Blue Storm, have been sentenced to death."

Fina gasped and held up her hands to her mouth.

The Empress sat smugly on her throne, a tall wooden chair, extensively decorated to show her importance, as though she was watching a really good opera.

Enrique sat next to her on a considerably smaller throne, just like in the throne room.

Carlos stood near by, looking slightly weaker than before from the beating he had taken after bringing Fina a nicer breakfast than the one the Empress had planned for her, one hand leaning heavily on the side of the box.

Fina's heart went out to the servant.

"If I say I will help you find the Crystal's" Fina finally spoke quietly in defeat at the Empress, " will you please cease this execution?"

The Empress laughed and gazed at her with a sort of lazy malice.

"Oh my dear girl," she said with a laugh, "It doesn't matter if you say your going to help us, You going to help us whether you like it or not."

Fina just stared at her before turning back to the field, seeing Captain Dyne and two of his senior officers being led to the guillotine.

She couldn't watch any longer, she turned and hid her face in her hands.

She suddenly felt arms around her, and didn't need to check to realise it was Carlos, who had been standing behind her.

He soothed her quietly as she hid her face in his jacket, trying his best to keep her safe.

Enrique made a move to get up and also comfort her, only to be forced down again by his mother.

"How many times must I tell you Enrique?" she snapped at him, "Don't touch, her don't even look at her! Understand!"

Enrique was about to say something back, when out of nowhere, came a small dagger.

It whizzed through the air and struck the Empress's chair, Just inches above her head.

The Empress just stared up at it, her eyes wide with fear.

Enrique looked at the dagger with puzzlement, before realising there was a note attached to it.

"Well Enrique?" his mother stammered as he pulled it out of the chair and read it through, "What does it say?"

"It says," said Enrique, reading it again to be sure, " 'You will rue the day you crossed me and the Blue Storm, Vyse Dyne, The Blue Rogue' "

Fina gasped and broke out of Carlos' grip, running over to the side of the box to see, with joy, A shocked Captain Dyne, an unconscious Valuan Soldier next to him, and a determined looking Vyse, ready for action.

* * *

Vyse looked pleased with himself as he untied his father, as Aika and Drachma freed the remaining prisoners.

"V…Vyse?" Dyne stammered as he looked at his son with amazement, "Is it really you?"

"You have no idea how many people have asked me that this week dad," Vyse sighed with a slight grin as he jerked his thumb behind him, indicating to the rest of the crew as they ran from the cage (opened by Aika and Drachma), "you better get down the hole quickly if you want to live though,"

His father nodded and quickly jumped down the hole in the floor though which Vyse had come.

Just as the last Air pirate jumped down the hatch into the sewers, the Executioner bellowed an angry order, causing the Coliseum to suddenly become flooded with armoured soldiers. In a matter of moments, Vyse, Aika and Drachma were surrounded.

"You fools!" The executioner laughed, "Did you really think you'd get out of here alive, fter you have spoiled the Entertainment?"

"Well, if you ask me," said Vyse with a smile, reaching slowly into his back pocket, "I think the Lower City Citizens are enjoying watching us kick you to high heaven and back!"

"Vyse what are you planning to do?" Aika asked desperately, "There's a hundred of them and only three of us!"

"I figure," Vyse whispered, slowly taking Fina's ring out of his back pocket, "If I can do one advanced silver spell, I must be able to do other spells as well. I want you and Drachma to go now, I don't know if what I'm planning will hurt you also,"

She swallowed and nodded, before motioning Drachma to follow her.

"Where do you think your going?" the executioner boomed at Aika and Drachma.

"If you want these Rouges," Vyse said as Drachma disappeared down the hole in the ground, "then you have to go though me!"

The executioner was silent for a moment and Vyse didn't know what he was thinking because of the over decorated helmet he wore.

The Executioner roared with laughter, "You?" he bellowed, "against me _and _countless men?" and he indicated to the side doors as hundreds more soldiers came pouring out of them, too late to stop the Blue Rogues form escaping.

Vyse smiled sadly and sheathed his cutlass.

"I didn't want to do this," he said, "I hate destruction on large scale. But, if that is what you wish, then so be it."

The executioner continued to laugh as Vyse placed the ring on his finger.

"_May the moons help me overcome this enemy_" he thought.

Once again the effect was instant.

The Ring once more glowed as brightly as it had back on Shrine Island, and created an intense silver glow around him.

Vyse felt the power pulse through him, and could feel his feet lifted slightly above the ground.

The executioner had stopped laughing and was shading his helmeted eyes from the light that Vyse was producing.

"MOONS," Vyse yelled, Throwing his arms into the air, "GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

As he brought his arms down, he saw a bright orb appear over his head. From the orb, it suddenly began to rain spears as long as his arm, as though The Rains of Destruction had been let loose again.

The executioner cowered in fear from the orb. As the spears began to rain down, he screamed, and knew no more.

* * *

Fina gasped as she saw Vyse do what only she could do.

She watched as the orb formed itself above the area, and then she watched in horror as the spears cascaded down from the orb, skewering all the soldiers in the area.

"_He can use it_," she thought as she looked at Vyse, who beginning to look tired, "_He's using a lot of his energy for this spell, he has to stop, or he might die. Vyse, please stop_!"

"_Fina!_"

Her eyes widened in shock and she lost concentration.

She looked quickly and saw that the Eternes spell had ceased, and Vyse was still standing, although looking a little tired.

He did how ever manage to stand up straight and take a bow, before jumping into the hole behind him.

"HOW _DARE _HE!" the Empress shrieked, visibly shaking with rage, swinging her staff around so much she hit poor Carlos round the head, knocking him to the floor, and Fina could see why she was so angry.

The entire Area was covered with the bodies of Valuan Soldier, most where still alive, knocked unconscious, but those nearest Vyse when he had initiated the Eternes spell, including the Executioner, had been skewered by the deadly silver spikes.

"_It had to have been a just cause_" she thought to herself, as she watched the Empress scream orders at her remaining guards, "_and the ring knows if it is just of not_,"

"GUARDS!" The Empress screamed, "TAKE THIS GIRL TO THE RAIL CAR AND SEND HER TO THE GRAND FORTRESS! IT'S HER FAULT THIS HAPPENED!"

Fina sighed as she watched Enrique do his best to try and stop her, only to fail, and Carlos reach up to her, only to get trampled down again by the soldiers as they barged past to grab Fina. She knew that Vyse was protecting the ones he knew as his family, which was probably Eternes had responded so well. She sighed as she was taken away, giving no resistance, because she knew, no one would try to save her.

* * *

Vyse got down the ladder and held his head. He had heard Fina, but he was the only person he knew on the area. Perhaps he was just fatigued by the Eternes spell.

"Hey Vyse," called a heavy Valuan accented voice, "Over here!"

Vyse looked up from his dizziness to see Marco waving frantically at him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with amazement.

"I thought I could try and help you out," he said with a grin, "I've let your friends into this secret room. I don't think the Empire knows about it, so they should be safe, for now at least."

Nodding in thanks, Vyse quickly ran into the room, to find the entire crew there. Including his dad.

"Well Vyse," he said, after his son ran into the room, a look of relief on his face, "I always knew you were brave, but now I think you're nuts too!" he smirked, the crew around them chuckling in agreement, "You're a bit late too, you know. Any later and the guillotine might of take a little bit off the top if you know what I mean,"

"What can I say?" replied Vyse, shrugging his shoulders, "I guess I'm not ready to become head of the Dyne Family just yet."

As the crew continued to chuckle, Vyse felt as though something wasn't right. He couldn't see Fina.

"Wait a moment, Where's Fina?"

Dyne looked at his son sadly.

"I'm sorry son," he said grimly, "But when we were captured, she was taken somewhere else. Apparently Empress Teodora wanted to talk with her herself."

Vyse clenched a fist, and realised that Fina's Ring was still on his finger. He stared down at it, total sorrow filling his heart.

"Fina,"

"If she was taken to see evil crow," Briggs spoke up, "then she must be in the Palace."

"The Empress was at the Execution," Vyse said quietly with a smile, still looking at the ring, "I should know, I almost hit her with a dagger,"

"Then that means the Palace will be Empty," Drachma spoke up, "She takes her guards everywhere, she does."

"I guess this means you'll be donning that Upper City stuff after all Vyse." Aika said with a smile.

Vyse looked up and gave her a determined smile and took the ring off his finger, putting it safely back in his pocket.

"Guess I am," he said.

* * *

Five minutes later Vyse was all dressed up, his armour buckled on and his hair he had attempted to tame straight.

He gave the ring to Aika to look after, but kept the Handkerchief in his pocket.

"Why aren't you taking the Ring?" asked Aika, "You might need it,"

"Think of it like this," Vyse said with a grin, "As long as you keep this, it's sure thing that I'll come back, and it also insure that Fina will come back so I can give it back to her."

"You have a weird perspective of things you do know that don't you?" she said with a grin.

He grinned back, "I'll be back," he said, "You can count on it,"

"You better," Aika said, elbowing him playfully, "Who else am I gonna raid with?" she then looked sad, turning away from him slightly.

"What's the matter?" he asked,

"I just have a horrid feeling," she said quietly, "Like I might not see you again."

Vyse paused for a moment, before drawing her in close into his embrace.

She was surprised at first, but then closed her eyes and relaxed.

"Come back alive," she whispered in his ear, "please, both of you,"

"Don't worry," he murmured back," we will."

* * *

Ten minutes later Vyse and Marco were walking though the sewers again in silence, despite Vyse's many attempts at conversation.

He casually looked down at the handgun his father had given him.

"Most Valuan Palace Guards have a rifle implemented into their swords," he had said, before Vyse had left for Upper City, "I know you can fire one of these, so be careful and try and take the guards out with this before taking them head on with your rapier."

Vyse had been forced to use a rapier instead of his usual two cutlasses, because men in Upper City only carried that type of sword. That, and it was easier to carry.

While he was thinking about this they finally reached the ladder that led to Upper City.

As he was about to climb it he suddenly heard a sniffle from his guide.

"Marco...what's wrong?" he asked, puzzled  
"Are...are you really going to go up there?" Marco looked unsure, "Are you really going to try and escape the Grand Fortress?"  
"That's the plan," Vyse smirked.  
"No...n-no..." Marco sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "Please...please don't do it. You'll get killed this time, I just know it. My parents...they were killed trying to escape the Grand Fortress. Nobody's ever done it before. It's just impossible. There's no escaping this place. It's designed to keep people in. no matter how hard you try, it's just impossible to escape,"

Vyse's eyes softened, that explained why Marco always tried to act so tough.  
"I'm really sorry about your parents, Marco," he replied, gently after a moment, "but like I already told you, I'm not about to give up. We've come so far…seems a bit stupid to just turn tail and run now,"

He smiled slightly, turning his gaze up to the Man-hole cover above, "There's a whole big world out there, Marco," he said, "and I'm gonna leave my mark on it. I can't die before that happens. I'm always striving to push my limits, to see what I can do. I never let anything stand in my way, and so far, nothing's stopped me." He looked back down at the boy. "Besides, Impossible is just a word that lets people feel good about themselves when they quit. Whenever I hear somebody say the word impossible...it makes me want to prove them wrong,"

Marco sniffled, wiping at his eyes once more. "Vyse...do you think I could ever become a sailor someday...?" he asked.  
Vyse grinned. "I don't see why not. You'd make a great sailor, Marco." He gave the boy another thumbs-up, eyes dancing. "And I'll be waiting for you...out there…amongst the clouds,"  
"Right!" Marco smiled through his tears, returning the thumbs-up, "good luck Vyse,"

Vyse gave him a nod, before ascending the ladder to Upper City.

* * *

Vyse didn't know which was worse, the Streets of Lower City, or the citizens of Upper City.

"And the people of Lower City think they have it off bad," he overhead a woman with an extremely large fan say to her friend, "I'm sure it's _much _harder for us then them. So many plays, so many parties. It's a wonder we have any time to talk we're so busy," then she gave a high-pitched laugh.

"_If only they knew_," he thought angrily to himself.

He continued to walk quietly and discreetly, in the hopes no one would see him.

After searching the city for an entranceway to the palace he eventually came to a bridge.

He leaned on the bridge in defeat, there didn't seem to be anyway in.

He thumped his hand against the stone masonry. "_Damm_," he thought to himself in anguish, "_I've failed her, I couldn't save her!_"

At that moment he suddenly heard a low hum coming from below him. Upon looking down he noticed two long lengths of steel, humming slightly and crackling with electricity.

As he followed the steel track, he finally came across the strangest looking form of transportation he had ever seen.

It was bright red and seemed to run along the track in front of it. It was segmented like a giant, metallic insect, and made Vyse shiver just looking at it.

As he watched it slowly began to move, getting faster as it headed down the tracks into a tunnel ahead.

Vyse watched it absentmindedly as the Rail car went past him.

As he looked though the window of the first car he suddenly stood up straight in surprise and fear.

"_Fina!"_

Without thinking what the consequences would be, Vyse vaulted over the side of the bridge, landing on the third carriage away from hers.

Drawing his Rapier quickly, he ran down the carriages towards the front of the train, being buffeted by the constant winds along the streamlined body of the train as he went.

* * *

Fina continued to look sorrowful as the Railcar continued.

Vyse had rescued his father and his friends, but no one would be able to save her.

She began to feel tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked up at one of the two beefy guards that protected her.

"What's going to happen to me?" she asked one of them.

"Our orders are to take you to the Grand Fortress," He replied gruffly, "From there you will be transferred to Lord Galcian's ship, in order to help for the greater good of the Valuan Empire."

He then chuckled sinisterly.

Fina lowered her head and cried openly, her tears falling gently onto the metal floor.

She felt abandoned, lost and alone, with no one to turn too. She felt afraid.

The door suddenly crashed open, making her jump.

That didn't however prepare her for the shock of who was behind the door.

It was Vyse, but not as she had seen him last.

He was dressed like Enrique, with the same armour and boots, but the rapier he held in his right hand was of slightly less quality then the one Enrique used.

"Good Morning gentlemen." He said brightly.

The guards tensed slightly, unsure of what to do.

"Who are you?" one of the guards asked thickly.

"Who me?" Vyse asked innocently, putting away his Rapier.

He suddenly slung out his handgun and pointed it at the first guard.

"I could well be the last thing you ever see,"

As quick as lightning the two guards were down, one bullet each lodged in his stomach, but not before one of them shot the Rogue in his upper leg.

Fina blinked in surprise.

"Vyse?" she whispered, as he slung the weapon back into it's sheath, "W-what are you doing here?"

Vyse tried to smile and ignoring the bullet in his thigh, offering a hand to help her up.

"You didn't think I'd let you be taken by Valua again did you?" he asked with a grin.  
Fina just stared at him as he untied the binds around her arms. "You...you did all this...for me?" she asked. "I...I thought you only came to rescue your father…"  
"Huh?" Vyse blinked, "You mean you saw us earlier?"  
Fina nodded. "In the coliseum. I was in the grand box with the Empress being forced to watch the fight. I…saw you cast Eternes."

Vyse looked down, obviously saddened.

"I hated doing that," he muttered, "Killing people one on one is one thing, but not in mass numbers, that's just…wrong."  
Fina blinked again, her eyes full of wonder for the Rogue.

She was about to say something to comfort him on the subject, when the door burst open once more.

She barely had time to register who it was before he raised his rifle and fired.

"Oh no!"

The bullet hit Vyse square in the back, puncturing his armour.

Vyse froze and a look of pain swept across his face, and he fell to his knees.

"Damm,"

"No!"

Vyse tried to stand up again, pain pulsing though his body with a like that he had never felt before.

Bang! Another shot forced him down to the ground.

He forced himself up again, managing to see the face of his attacker.

There stood Galcian, his sword smoking at its tip.

Vyse blankly remembered his father talking about these sword rifles, but his mind was going numb from pain.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this reunion," Galcian said in a black voice, "But I can't have you stealing the most Valuable tool I have to date,"

"She's not…a tool," Vyse forced out, "a tool is a name of a thing, not a person. You've hurt her enough! If you want her, you'll have to go through me!"  
"You just don't get it, do you?" Galcian spat, raising his gun, "I've…(bang)…Already…(bang)…Won!" Bang!

Vyse suddenly cried out in pain as three more bullets drove deep into his stomach.  
The man only chuckled. It was a nasty chuckle.

"Your should feel honoured to be killed by me," he sneered, "and now to end it."

"Don't you dare hurt him!" Fina cried.

She ran in front of Vyse to stop any more bullets from driving home.

"You've almost killed him! Don't do anymore harm to him, please?"

Vyse finally crumpled into a pile, blood trickling out of his mouth.  
The man roared with laughter as Fina crouched down beside Vyse, feeling more tears in her eyes. "You don't even know the boy." He roared, "and yet you care for him as though he was your own brother! How touching."  
"I might not have known him for very long," she shouted a loud as she could through her tears, "but he had not only saved me from you once, he came after me to save me again, and has even come to deaths door at your hand for me. In my society at least, I would count that him as a friend for all the deeds he has done for me."  
Galcian gave her a look of such rage that he raised his gun again.

Suddenly an explosion rocked the railcar sending shards of metal and glass went flying everywhere, digging into her skin and opening new wounds as she tried to protect Vyse's broken body. When the smoke cleared, and she looked up, and saw that the car had been blasted in two. Galcian's half of the train was now falling far back behind them, while they continued to accelerate forward. Sailing right alongside them was an old ship she had never seen before, it's guns smoking.  
Vyse opened his eyes slightly, "It's…the Captain…" he murmured.  
"Save your strength Vyse," she said kindly, cradling his head in her arms, "They're lowering a rope ladder to us"

Vyse nodded in understanding, but things were getting blurry and before he knew it, he was consumed by darkness.

* * *

Vyse opened his eyes, and realised he was on the outer deck of the Little Jack. He then noticed that they were still in the tunnel. He also realised he still had six bullets in him. 

"Gotta get to the bridge," he muttered, before standing up gingerly and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" asked a timid voice behind him.

Vyse tuned around to see Fina, a bandage over her right hand, looking at him with the utmost concern.

"I have to go to the Bridge," he said, his words slightly slurred.

Vyse you've just been shot! Six Times!" said Aika as she walked up beside Fina, her voice filled with concern, "and you want to pilot this thing out of here?"

"That's the plan." He said, with a grin, trying to stand up straight and failing.

The two girls exchanged a look at each other before sighing.

"Can't keep you down can I?" asked Aika as she ducked under his arm to help him.

"I guess you can't," said Fina as she ducked under the other arm.

* * *

"Just what the hell do you think you doing?" asked Drachma as he saw the trio help Vyse up to the bridge.

"With all due respect captain," Vyse said, standing up straight despite the pain, "I should be the one Piloting this Ship, it's my battle. If I can prove that a seventeen-year-old boy can escape from the Grand Fortress, Then that will hack them off more than if you do it.

Drachma sighed before handing the wheel over to him.  
As they emerged into the main channel through the Grand Fortress, He was shocked to see the Entrance gate beginning to close. There was hardly any room left to pass through.  
But Vyse was tired of being in Valua. Although he had rescued all his friends from it, It had also given him six bullets as a going away present.

Once more he punched the engines to their limits, sending the Little Jack rocketing forwards at break-neck speed. Everyone gathered on board could only look on in fear as their single chance of escape became narrower and narrower, the large cannons on the back, shining menacingly. They reached out for whatever was closest and held on as tight as they could. As he continued to push the Little Jack farther, he felt Fina's hand on his shoulder and could feel it trembling, scared at the suicidal move he seemed to be pulling. With one final burst of speed, the Little Jack plunged through the narrow crevice, scraping loudly against both the gate and the doorway. The ship shuddered as the side rudders were ripped off, but he didn't look back. The sails billowed in the wind as the gate sealed shut behind them, casting them off into the southern sky.  
It took Vyse a moment to comprehend what had just happened.

He had escaped from the impregnable Grand Fortress.  
"We did it," he said with a weak smile.

Then the darkness clouded in again, his wounds now becoming more deadly.

His last thought was of Fina and the fact he never gave her back her ring.


	10. Missions and History Lessons

Yo, me again.  
Sorry about the shortness of this months chapter. Originally you see, I was going to split this story into three parts, and this was the epilogue to the first story. That was before I got over my phobia of writing more then a hundred pages though. I'll probably update again next week.  
I've recently updated my LoAS website (Just click on my homepage link on my profile if you haven't already seen it). It's a list of possible stories that I came up with while I was on holiday (I was inspired by Film Four's Studio Ghibli season.) I'm definitly going to write a few of these once I've finished LoAS. Something to look forward too Eh?

Anyway, enjoy this extreamly short chapter.

**

* * *

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**CHAPTER 9**

**MISSIONS AND HISTORY LESSONS**

"Vyse? Can you hear me?"

Vyse opened his eyes, only to find he was in his bedroom.

Had it all been a dream? Had He just dreamt he had saved a girl called Fina from Valua and saved his Dad in the process? Had he been to Valua at all?

But all his questions were answered in a moment as he looked around his room.

The first thing he noticed was that the Lover's Ring was lying on his bedside table, showing he had indeed been to Valua. And sitting at the end of his bed, was Fina, looking distinctly worried for him.

"Hey Fina," he said weakly with a smile, "how you doing?"

She smiled back at him shyly.

"I should be the one asking you that," she said simply, "So how are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot six times," he said with laugh.

She looked at him curiously,

"That's funny," she said, puzzled, "the spell should have worked."

Vyse stared at her. Now that he thought about it, he didn't feel any pain.

He looked down and slowly lifted his shirt.

He gasped, all of his wounds had gone!

"How did you…?" he asked.

She smiled and raised her hand, revealing her silver ring.

"Riselen," she said simply, "The life giving spell,"

He blinked several times before smiling.

She smiled back, making him feel funny inside.

" I have a favour to ask of you," she said, "I think it's time that I told you about my quest,"

"I thought you said that you couldn't tell anyone about your quest." Vyse said quietly.

She shifted slightly, as if unsure on how to proceed.

"I did not want to tell anyone before you," she said quietly, "So you will be the first to know out side of the Elders."

Vyse held his tongue to ask who the Elders were and nodded for her to go on.

She took a deep breath and began.

"I am a Silvite, a descendant of the House of Silvairian."

"The House of Silvairian?" Vyse frowned, "You mean the Silver Civilisation?"

Fina nodded. "If that is what you call the civilisation of the Silvites, then yes, The Silvier Civilisation. I suppose you know about the Great Houses of the Old World? It was A thousand years ago...six great civilisations, one for each moon. Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, purple and Silver.

In that time, Arcadia was in a golden age. They were so highly developed, even Valua's greatest acheivements would look pitiful compared to the technology the old civilisations's wielded.

But in time, even the greatest of golden ages must come to an end.

No one remembers who created one first. Some say it was teh Redites, with Recumen. Others believe it to be the Yelites.

At any rate, One of the Houses somehow managed to create a living weapon of mass destruction.They called it a Gigas, and by distilling a single moonstone until it crystallised, they had control of a power so great, they thought the other Civilisations would bow at thier feet.

They didn't however. They simply created thier own Gigas.

Then the Great War began.

The fighting lasted for a hundred years, the six civilisations tore each other apart, not just with the Gigas, but with fly fortresses and immense battleships that could blow the Grad Fortress to peices with a single blast from thier energy cannons.

Then, something happened.

The Rains of Destruction fell.

For an entire year Moonstones reigned down on the planet, crushing everything that had not already been destroyed. My ancestors were fortunate, and managed to escape the blast by sending many of our civilisation up above the carnage.

The other Civilisations, and indeed, many of our own however, wern't so lucky.

And the destruction didn't end there. for a century afterwards, strange creatures from Deep Sky arose from thier slumber, terrorising the remnants of the Houses further before they were pushed back by my ancestors.

Now we watch over Arcadia from the sky above, insure nothing to the extent of the Great War happens again. Resently however, we noticed that the descendents of the Yelites, the Valuan Empire, has been getting more agressive. We have even heard rumours that they are searching for the Gigas and the Crystals that control them. I was sent to find them before the Empire, so the power of the Gigas can never be used again,"

"That's why Valua wants you" Vyse realised, "They want you to lead them to these...Moon Crystals,"

Fina nodded silently.

"Vyse, I'm afraid I have a favor to ask of you," Her voice was quiet and shy, "You've already done so much for me, but...would you join me on my journey?. You, Aika, even Captain Drachma if he wishes it. So we can find the Moon Crystals before Valua can, so we can put them out of harms way."

Vyse looked down in a moment of thought

"Well I can't speak for Aika and Drachma," he said finally, "But I know I'm with you all the way,"

She smiled at him gratefully.

"Thank you so much!" she happily, "You don't have any idea how happy this makes me feel!"

Vyse smiled back, he was happy that she was happy.

"I think it's time you met a friend of mine," she said with a smile.

As she held out her hand, one of her bracelets began to squeak.

"It's alright," she cooed, "You can come out now."

Vyse stared with interest as the bracelet on her arm, and gasped when he saw what it did.

Slowly, the bracelet disconnected itself from Fina's hand and formed a small silver bubble, which then flowed up her hand and off her finger.

As it jumped from her finger it suddenly expanded like a balloon to become a large floating orb, with eyes and a small mouth.

"This," said Fina, smiling at Vyse's surprise, "Is Cupil."

"Cupil?" Vyse asked, getting over the surprise of an object appearing from nowhere, "He's kinda cute when you get over his appearing act!"

She giggled at him and tried to cover it up with a hand.

He found himself staring at her, he couldn't help it. She was just so beautiful.

She stopped giggling when she realised and then started to stare back.

They couldn't stop staring into each other's eyes, it happened every time they locked.

Finally Fina looked down, her face red from embarrassment.

Vyse knew how she felt, as he felt the same way. He looked down too, trying to think of something to say.

"I should go," she said, quickly rising and heading for the ladder that led to down stairs.

"Yeah," Vyse said quietly, mentally cursing himself.

She paused for a moment and looked back at him.

He didn't look up; he just kept staring at his bedcovers.

She sighed a look of sorrow in her eyes before heading down the ladder.

He snuggled down under his bedcovers knowing her had hurt her feelings somehow.

Outside he heard a sharp squeal of surprise as Fina introduced Aika and Drachma to Cupil.

Soon, Fina, Aika, Drachma and himself would embark on the greatest Adventure that Arcadia had ever seen, but for now, as he began to doze off again, he had to think about what he had done to upset Fina, and find out what he could do to make it better.

* * *

The Creatures that come after the Rain fo Destruction is a hint of things to come in my Legends of Arcadain Skies Universe book, The War of Condor Valley. 

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and check out the website.


	11. Getting Underway

Sorry this chapter's so short. You see, just like the last one was supposed to be a epilogue, this one was supposed to be a prologue, but now it's all just one big book, so sorry again.

Anyway, enjoy.

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**CHAPTER 10**

**GETTING UNDERWAY**

"I know how you are when you get this way, Vyse." Captain Dyne said with a smile after his son had told him about Fina's mission and how she had asked for his, Aika's and Drachma's help, "and their There is no possible way I can change your mind."

"From now on I will treat you as my equal in the skies. Just make me proud. That's all I can ask of you."  
"I've always known that there comes a day when your children have to leave…" his mother said, wiping a tear from her eye, "and I knew that this day would eventually come, I just had hoped that day wouldn't come so soon."  
"Saving the world's a big responsibility," Dyne said, raising an eyebrow at the notion "You're going to have to rely on every skill you've learned up until now, and acquire even more along the way."

Fina stood silently in the background until finally she plucked up the courage to say what was on her mind  
"Captain Dyne," she said timidly, "your hospitality and kindness is something I'll never forget" she smiled, a bit sadly. "I-I truly can't thank you enough." She bowed. "And when I return home, I will make sure the Elders will return your kindness with something, anything you need."  
Dyne only chuckled, dismissing the thought with the wave of one hand. "Keeping the world safe from Valua is all the thanks I need. We are sworn enemies, after all."  
"Do you have everything you need?" Vyse's mother asked, eyeing the few bags on the dockside. "Healing crystals? Money?"  
"Mom, you'd think I was leaving forever or something," Vyse replied, embarrassed.  
"But what if you are!" she replied, almost frantic, "What if you don't come back? What if a Gigas or what ever they're called gets you? What if…?"

Vyse sighed, he walked over and gently held his mother by her shoulders, making her look directly into his eyes.

"I won't disappoint you," he said with a smile "I've already been at deaths door once this week alone and it's not something I'm going to repeat in a hurry!"

Vyse's mother laughed slightly, and gave a large sniff, as Vyse continued.

"I'll be back, you'll see! Back, and stronger than ever! Don't give up on me."

"I won't ever give up on you Vyse," she said with a sniffle.

"There's something I want you to have before you go," he father said with a smile, "I got it off the Valuan soldier before I escaped the Coliseum."

Out of his pocket he produced the weirdest Pistol Vyse had ever seen.

It was small, no larger than the on his father carried, but instead of a barrel for bullets, there was instead a large claw, compacted at the moment for easy storage.

"What is it?" He asked with curiosity,

"I think the Valuans call it a Grappler." He father replied, giving the object to his son, "It works a bit like the Little Jack's Harpoon Cannon. Valuan soldiers use it to capture, but not seriously hurt, a person. It also helps them get to high places quickly."

"I see," Vyse murmured, before tucking it into his belt, "I'll keep that in mind, thanks dad."

Dyne opened his mouth to correct his son, but then thought better of it, instead only smiling.  
"We'd better get moving, boy," Drachma said, The gangplank creaking under his weight as he made his way to the Little Jack's outer deck, "We've got a good wind coming up from the south and it's best we not lose it."  
"Coming, Captain!" Aika called. She hugged Dyne and Vyse's mom, and then followed the old man on board.  
He grinned, and then followed. Fina bowed deeply to the two of them and then was right behind him.  
The Little Jack slowly raised itself off the ground where the Albatross had once proudly sat, making it's way out of the hole in the side of Pirate Isle.

As it set sail for the Nasr Kingdom once more in search of the red crystal, no one on board noticed a large slightly pink Valuan Flagship hiding in a nearby stone reef, nor did they notice when it started to follow them.


	12. The Sands of Maramba

Beware the fluff!  
I think parts of the next couple of chapters are corny. I might rewrite it later, but let me know what you think

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* * *

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**CHAPTER 11**

**THE SANDS OF MARAMBA**

Since he had had his near death experience, Vyse had not really changed. He was still bright and cheerful as he could be, and still worked to his hardest.

Although right now he felt that like his arms would drop off.

Right now he was in the Engine room of the Little Jack, shovelling a mixture of blue and purple moonstones into the old engines cooling chamber.

He had taken off his tunic and armour and rolled up his sleeves because of the heat the engines were producing.

They had been travelling though Nasr for over an hour and the engine had already began to overheat.

"Why of all places did The Red Crystal have to be in Nasr?" he grumbled to himself, shovelling more moonstones in the cooling chamber, "Why couldn't it be somewhere cooler?"

"_Because then it wouldn't be the Red Moon Crystal then would it?_" he thought to himself.

"Having fun?" asked Aika as she came down the stairs behind him.

"About as much fun falling through deep sky," he muttered back, shovelling another load of purple moonstones into the cooling chamber, "We'll have to stock up on these when we reach…wherever it is we're going."  
"Maramba," Aika said with a laugh, "We're making a stop there to refuel and then onto the temple of Pyrynn."

"The Temple of Pyrynn?" asked Vyse, "Is that where the Crystal is?"

"Well that was blinkingly obvious," Aika said with a smile.

"Did you come down here to ridicule me or for something else?" he grumbled, agitated.

"I came down here for two reasons." She replied stoutly, "the first one, was that we're about to land in Maramba, the second, was…" she paused for a minute as if feeling uncomfortable.

Vyse stopped piling in the moonstones and lent on his shovel, studying her.

"Was what?" he asked.

she sighed and handed him a belt with a holster on either side, the end of his Grappler poking out of the bottom of the one on the left, the handgun his father had given him on the right.

"Fina made this for you," she said finally, "She's been making it since we left home. She wanted me to give it to you, and say I made for some reason."

"Well that's nuts," Vyse said with a wiry smile, "You couldn't boil water without setting fire to it!"

She scowled at him menacingly, "Now who's ridiculing who?" she fumed.

With that she shoved the belt into his hand and stormed back up to the bridge.

Vyse stared after her for a moment, before looking at the Holsters.

They were made from ordinary brown leather, but the same circuits that decorated Fina's dress and jewellery were embroidered with gold thread going diagonally down to the tips.

He looked at it with interest, thinking about Fina's actions recent of late.

She had been purposefully avoiding him, ever since their conversation after returning home from Valua.

He knew he had hurt her feeling somehow, and he didn't know how or why, but she had continued to avoid him, and even when she couldn't do that, she would keep quiet and avoid talking to him. He sighed to himself and buckled the holster to his belt.

He was just about to think of another way to cool off the engine when there was suddenly a loud clatter from Aika and Fina's room, followed by a yelp of surprise.

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Vyse slowly approached the door with caution, pushing it open slowly.

He got quite a surprise.

Fina was on the floor, trying to wrestle a saucepan out of the mouth of Cupil.

"You…can't…eat…that!" she half shouted at the silver animal, "It's…not…ours!"

"Am I interrupting something?" Vyse asked, smiling slightly, and folding his arms.

Fina let go of the saucepan in shock, sending Cupil flying into the wall, making him splat against it, dropping the saucepan in the process.

"Vyse!" she said breathlessly, standing up and bowing slightly, "I didn't hear you knock, I…"

"I heard a noise and came to investigate," he said, still smiling, "The engine will be alright for now, seeing we'll be landing in Maramba soon."

"I see," Fina murmured, averting his eyes, "that's good news."

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence, until Vyse sighed and closed the door behind him, much to Fina's surprise.

"Fina we need to talk," he said at last, "I've noticed recently you've been avoiding me, and for whatever reason, I'd like to know why."

Fina looked down, trying to stop herself from getting emotional.

"It's just…" she said quietly, "You've protected me since we have been friends. You saved me from Admiral Alfonso, you even saved me from the Valuans again on the Railcar. But that's what stopped me from talking to you Vyse, keeping my distance from you."

She looked into his light brown eyes, her own flooding with tears.

"On the train, you almost died trying to protect me," she sobbed, "You almost died because of me. And I'm afraid if you keep trying to protect me, you'll be killed and it will be my fault. I couldn't live with that."

She sat down on her bed and cried softly into her hands.

Vyse looked at her sadly. It now made perfect sense, she had been trying to protect him.

He sat down gently on Aika's bed opposite her and gently clasped her hands in his.

She stopped crying and looked at him sorrowfully.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I know it was selfish, trying to shut you out after I asked you to come with me."

He smiled at her kindly.

"Fina, You're a very special person to a lot of people." he said, "and I don't know why but you seem to have led a very sheltered life. I'm trying to be your friend, but your not making it easy for me by shunning me out of your life."

She smiled a bit, gazing softly at Vyse as he continued.

"It's not just me who tries to protect you either. Aika does, my Dad did when Valua attacked Pirate Isle no doubt. It just seems like me because I've done it most predominantly that's all. But now you know about everyone else who's trying to help you, are you going to shun them too?"  
She looked down at his hands on to of hers, before murmuring a quiet "no."

"I want to be your Friend Fina," he repeated, patting her hand, "And I don't care what happens to me, I'm gonna to be your friend, and I will do my best to see you don't get hurt, just like everybody else."

She smiled as she stood up, to which he did the same.

"Thank you Vyse," she said quietly, squeezing his hands.

"For what?" he asked,

"For being there for me."

He smiled back and was about to reply when Aika burst onto the room.

"Hey Fina we're…"

She stopped short of the sight of Vyse and Fina standing together, holding hands.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked quietly.

Vyse and Fina stole a look at each other before turning away shyly.

"No," Vyse replied flatly, "We were just sorting out the reason Fina's been avoiding me,"

"I see," Aika said, clearly not impressed, "The captain wants us to get our stuff ready for landing, we're just about to dock."

* * *

It took a while and a lot of grumbling on Drachma's behalf, but eventually the Little Jack sailed into the port of Maramba.

Despite the fact that almost every docking space had been taken, there wasn't a single person on the dockside, save a few merchants heading into town.

After re-donning his armour Vyse decided that it was two hot for his Tunic and shoved it into his bag before heading down the gangplank to join the girls on the quay.

"Well this is…interesting," he mused, scanning the dockside for any signs of life, "there doesn't seem to be anyone around."  
"It's so hot…" Fina commented, quietly. "The people who live here must be very strong people, indeed."  
"I heard that if you actually go walking in the desert, your hair will catch on fire!" Said Aika mildly, totally oblivious to the fact that the reminder of the heat was making Fina lean heavily against a nearby post from heat exhaustion, "They say that the people of Nasr carry buckets of water around with them, so they can put their friends out when that happens."  
"What?" Vyse laughed. "Aika, I doubt it's that hot here."  
"Humph! Well don't blame me when your hair catches on fire!" she huffed. "That glass eye patch you wear will probably intensify the sun's rays and fry your brain!"  
"Well, let's wait for the Captain before we do go anywhere," Vyse replied, deciding to ignore Aika's miniature tantrum,

"I wonder what he's doing?"  
As soon as he said that, he suddenly heard the engine beginning to start up again and the pectoral fins on the side of the ship suddenly began to rotate backward. The Little Jack was backing out of the port!  
"Hey! Cap'n! What are you doing?" Aika called.  
Drachma poked his grizzled head out of a window of the bridge and frowned down at the three of them. "This is where we part ways," he called back. "I've got no time for babysitting. I gotta go find Rhaknam."  
"WHAT?!" Aika was furious. "Hey! Get back here, you eye patch wearing freak! you rusty old man! Hey, are you listening to me?! HEY!!!!"  
It was no use. Drachma pulled his head back inside, and they were left to stand there, helplessly, watching as he sailed out of sight and disappeared into the swirling curtains of sand clouding the air in the distance.  
"Oh my!" Fina's eyes were wide. "That...that isn't good. Not good at all!"  
Vyse sighed. "Great. Looks like we'll have to find another person to help us. That's all we can do…for now."  
"Yeah but there's one problem, we can't speak Nasrean!" Aika wailed.  
"Uhm...actually..." Fina looked a little bashful. "...I can."  
Vyse gave a small sigh of relief and smiled warmly at her.

"Is there anything you can't do?" he asked.

She looked down shyly at the ground, feeling a little embarrassed,

"_Well, I can't seem to get you out of my head,_"she thought to herself, "_but I can't let you know that,_"

Throughout Valua and Mid ocean, people spoke the main language of the known world, known as Arcadian. Many travelling Nasr merchants also spoke the language, but only outside of the Nasr Kingdom. When in their own country they usually spoke Nasrean, their native tongue. Indeed most people in the Nasr Kingdom couldn't speak Arcadian, because they had never set foot outside of their country.

Maramba was a small Fishing and trading port. The town was tiny, leaning on the coast of a broad, flat island that was almost completely surrounded by a large stone reef. The town itself was split up by a cliff with the lower half on the coast, where all the sailing-related establishments seemed to be, where captains of vessels could re-supply without having to haul cargo and new cannons from the main part of the town above. The upper half, as said before, seemed to be all shops. Separated from this across a good expanse of desert was a fenced off area that appeared to be the residential area. Massive torches, no doubt fuelled by red moonstones, burned brightly around the city and the harbour in particular, to help guide in ships through the constantly shifting sands.

"It looks like there's only one inn in town," Aika stated after a few minutes of exploration, "Judging from the amount of ships there were in the dock, we better hurry too."

Vyse nodded

"Seems the best thing we can do for now," he said as they headed inside.

"You want room for three yes?" the innkeeper said in broken Arcadian as they entered, "you just in luck, Room spare, yes, much luck for you!"

"well it could be worse," Vyse said when he saw the look on Aika's face at the grasp the Innkeeper had on Arcadian, "She might not have been able our language at all."

"In this case it might have been preferable," Aika muttered under her breath.

The Innkeeper looked at them quizzically.

"No room?" she asked.

"Yes please," Vyse said quickly.

"Room please, Any room."

"60 gold for room," the Innkeeper said happily, "Good price, Good price."

"Thank you," Vyse said slowly as he dropped the gold coins into on the counter.

"You in luck stranger," the Innkeeper said as she piled the gold into a bag and fetched a bronze key from a hook behind her, "Inn usually full lately. Everyone come to see dancer at tavern, Very good, they say, none like her they say. So pretty and elegant. Business increase three-fold here, good business, good business."

She dropped the key into Vyse's open hand and smiled at him knowingly.

"You go see her methinks, yes, good dancer they say, very good. Enjoy your stay!"

Vyse watched after her as she disappeared behind a curtain, humming happily to herself.

"You know, a little entertainment wouldn't be such a bad idea," Aika said after a moment, breaking the silence, "We could use some enjoyment to take our minds off our predicament."

"but what about the Red Moon Crystal?" Fina said nervously.

"Oh relax Fina," Aika said, grabbing her arm, "It's been sitting in that temple for a thousand years, It's not like the Valuans are going to find it tomorrow are they? Now come on and let's find this Tavern the Innkeeper was talking about"

It was all Fina could do to give Vyse a helpless look before being dragged out of the Inn and out of site.

Vyse sighed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. All he particularly wanted to do right now was to flop into bed and fall asleep. He sighed again before pocketing the key and taking their extremely few bags up to their room, before trudging down the stair again and following the girls outside.

"Oh there you are Vyse," said Aika quickly, scanning the town for the tavern, " I can't seem to find that tavern the Innkeeper was telling us about, can you see it Fina?"

"No," mumbled Fina, looking down at her shoes.

"This part of town looks a bit crowded," Vyse noted looking around, "most likely the Tavern's in the Other part of it."

"But how are we supposed to get over there?" asked Aika, exasperated, "There must be at least ten miles of desert between us and them!"

"You wan' to see udda part of town, yes?" A male voice asked. Vyse turned a round to find short, stout man in a turban there behind him, holding the reigns of a strangest creature he had seen yet. It was easily as tall as a first story building, and walked hunched over, on two powerful hind legs. Its forearms were considerably smaller and looked like a few more centuries of evolution and they would disappear completely. It had wide feet, and a long tail and neck, and would have reminded him of the pictures he'd seen of ancient lizards that had roamed the planet before even the Old World, had it not been a pale pink and a long nose. On its back was a saddle and various pack bags.  
"Do you know how we can get there?" Vyse asked.  
"Yes sir!" said the man eagerly, pointing at the animal he was leading "ooh tak Dhabu! Dhabu, good Dhabu!"  
"And I thought the Innkeeper's grasp on Arcadian was bad," Aika muttered.

"Maybe I can help." Fina said timidly, before stepping up to the man and began to talk with the man in Nasrean, speeding up the conversation.

"He says that the only way to get to the other side of town is by this animal, a Dhabu." she explained after a while.

The man tugged on her sleeve and began talking rapidly again.

"He also says that his business has gone up when the new dancer came into town at the tavern three day's ago."

"Three day's ago?" Vyse asked, "We left Pirate Isle four days ago"

"What's your point Vyse?" asked Aika, "So we left one day after this dancer came here, so what? It's not like the two events are connected."

"It just seems a little strange that's all." he replied, looking slightly uncomfortable under Aika's hard gaze, "Ask him how much for two of them."

"Two? Have you lost the ability to count or something?" Aika asked with a smirk.

"Fina's small," he muttered to her quietly after he had given the money to Fina to pay the man, "She can ride with me,"  
"Ride with you?" Aika blinked at him, "Why does she have to ride with you? What so special about you, huh?"

"Nothing's special about me," Vyse replied, with a hint of agitation in his voice, "I just thought I could save money by getting two of these things instead of three, and seeing Fina's small I thought she could ride with me, it's only for 20 minutes to the other side."

"Well, what if she doesn't want to ride with you?" Aika asked matter-of-factly, "What is she wants to ride with me?"

"What does it matter?" Vyse said exasperated, "It's just a ride across the desert! Anyone would think your jealous of something, as though I had a crush on her!"

"Well?" Aika asked,

"Well what?"

"_Do_ you have a crush on her?"

"Of course I don't," he replied, blushing hard and trying to stop himself from shouting, "Ok, Fine. Fina can ride with you if it makes you happy ok?"

"You _do _have a crush on her don't you?" Aika continued, with a hint of amazement in her voice. "Or you wouldn't want her to ride with you would you?"

"Aika," Vyse said with a sigh, "I don't have a crush on her and that's the truth ok? She can ride with you if it makes you feel better."

The effect was almost immediate.

"Ok Vyse, I believe you," she said with a wink, "But Fina still rides with me, I'll go and tell her."

Vyse looked after her, his spirits severely dampened.

She had had no right to ask into his personal life. He had told the truth though, he had no interest in Fina, or that's what he kept telling himself. For all he knew, she only saw him as a friend and nothing more. And besides, just because he had offered to give Fina a ride with didn't mean to say that he loved her.

Aika, he had noticed, had been acting differently, he now realised, since the day they had fought the Guardian of Shrine Island. She had been more up close and personal than before, and the people around him had noticed as well.

He knew that at one point, he at least thought of taking their relationship to something more than friendship, but nowadays he found him self cringing just at the thought of it. Aika was the sister her had never had, and he treated her like one too. It suddenly dawned on him that Aika might be jealous of the way Fina and himself interacted. Although he admitted to himself that his relationship with Fina was a lot more physical than it was with Aika, It was with good reason. Aika could look after herself, she didn't need Vyse's constant protection, but Fina was different. She barely knew what half the things in the world were, and was so innocent and caring for others, that she would sometimes put her life on the line because of it.

"Its been settled," Fina said, coming up to him and dropping 10 pieces of gold into Vyse's hand.

"I thought I gave you the exact amount," Vyse said with curiosity.

"I um…negotiated a lower price with the trainer," she replied, looking down, embarrassed.

He smiled at her and shook his head in disbelief.

"You never cease to surprise me Fina."

* * *

The journey to the other side of town took less time than Vyse had thought, shorted by the ever lumbering steps of the Dhabus, but by the time they had reached the fencing that surrounded the houses the sun had already begun to set.

The fenced off part of town was more crowded than the main part, most people heading towards the Tavern.

"I guess this is the right place," Vyse said quietly as he dismounted, "This might be a good chance to see if someone can take us to the temple."

"You're right," Aika replied, dismounting quickly "Let's go then, I'm hungry." She didn't even wait for a reply before going inside.

Fina glanced at Vyse naively, before looking after Aika as she disappeared into the tavern.

"Is something wrong with Aika?" she asked with puzzlement.

Vyse laughed as he tied up his Dhabu.

"Nah, she's usually like this, always thinking with her stomach."

She giggled slightly, putting a hand over her mouth to smother it, "she is…a little confusing at times," she said quietly, "She seems to like you a lot."

"We've been friends a long time," he replied, "Do you need a hand?"

She blinked at him with puzzlement.

Realising he was offering to help her off the Dhabu she gratefully slid off the animal into his arms.

Vyse had actually been expecting more resistance from her and stumbled as he caught her, eventually falling to the ground and taking her with him.

They both paused for a moment, lying in the sand.

They stared at each other, almost nose to nose, before Vyse began to chuckle slightly.

"Sorry," he said, his face flushing with embarrassment, "You do know you weigh less than anyone I've ever known?"

She suddenly looked worried.

"Is that bad?" she asked with concern.

He rolled his eyes at her and chuckled again.

"No, It's just I wasn't expecting so little resistance, so I fell over." he replied kindly.

"Oh," she began to laugh, seeing the funny side of it. It was the most beautiful thing he had heard in a long while.

They lay there for a moment, just looking at each other, the warm sand blowing softly around them. Vyse suddenly realised that he wasn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought he would be and by the look in Fina's eyes, she was feeling something of the same way.

Finally Fina sighed and rolled off him.

"I think we should go inside," she murmured quietly, "Aika will probably wonder where we are."

"Yeah," Vyse said quietly, beginning to stand up. He didn't know why, but he was feeling sad for some reason, and it didn't make sense.

With a sigh he pulled Fina up to her feet, before dusting the sand off himself.

He watched with slight amusement as Cupil decided to help brush the sand off Fina's back and out of her hair.

When they finally thought they looked satisfactory, they finally entered the noisy tavern.

As soon as he got inside, Vyse realized why the innkeeper had said they were lucky to get a room. The tavern was jam-packed full of rowdy sailors, all men, crowded into one half of the room catcalling and whistling as a small band played traditional Nasrean music in the background. Dancing fluidly, to the music was a woman, a women that made Vyse slightly uncomfortable.

He could not deny that she was beautiful. There was something decidedly interesting about her. She seemed to have curves in all the right places, and he could see why so many sailors loved to watch her dance. Her body was lean and sleek, likely from years of dancing, but it was her face that made him uncomfortable.

Her facial features were delicate, complete with full lips, and bright green eyes, and long, thick eyelashes. Her hair was a very deep shade of red, pinned atop her head in a wavy ponytail, with two long and wavy locks separated from the rest to frame her face as Fina's did. She wore very little, and although it was customary for the region, Vyse had to look the other way to stop himself from staring, not that that was hard. A mere sash of rich violet had been wrapped around her breasts and tied around her neck, exposing all of her back, shoulders, and midriff. She wore a slightly transparent veil across her face, covering everything from her eyes down, but just transparent enough to see her pert nose and mouth. Two long pieces of the same material were attached to the seam of her slightly baggy purple trousers and connected with her wrists, making her movements seem more fluidic.

They found Aika with her back to the dancer, eating some sort of spicy food the Barkeeper had given her, three cups of water beside her.

"Didn't you say you said you wanted to see some entertainment?" Fina asked as she and Vyse sat down on cushions either side of her.

"She's not as great as they say she is," Aika muttered, grabbing another kebab.

"I don't know," Vyse said quietly, studying her face, "She seems familiar, like I've seen her somewhere before."

"I understand the Cap'n's reason for leaving," Aika suddenly moaned, "but...he had no right to just strand us here you know. What do you think Vyse?"  
Vyse didn't hear a word she said.  
"Vyse?" She blinked, then scowled as she realised he was staring at the Dancer, his hands at the side of his eye patch focusing in. "Vyse!"  
Vyse jumped suddenly as Aika jumped in front of him, grabbing his attention, "What?"  
Aika looked angry. "Were you listening to me?"  
"Uhm...yeah...you were talking about the desert…" he replied.  
She continued to scowl at him, "If you could pry your eyes away from that dancer for a moment and look over here…"  
"I'm not looking at the dancer," Vyse replied angrily, "It's her face I'm worried about. I can't shake the feeling I've seen her somewhere before. Besides, she keeps looking over here and I don't know why."

Aika became absolutely livid. "What kind of excuse was that?! You act like you've never seen a girl before! You...you were undressing her with your eyes, not that it would take that long! I hope you weren't zooming in!"  
"The only part I was zooming in on," Vyse said curtly, scooting away from her, a bit defensively, "was her face. And you've gotta admit, she's been watching me since we came in here…"

"Yeah right," Aika muttered, slumping back onto her cushion, "Fina, can you talk some sense into him?"  
Fina blinked, peering at her over the top of her glass. "Hm? Do you really find it all that hard to believe?" She smiled, bashfully and looked over at Vyse, who was keeping his eyes firmly on the drink in front of him, "Vyse is very attractive. I don't think it's odd that she's looking over here."

Vyse looked up with gratitude for the Silvite, and she smiled reassuringly back at him.

"Your joking right?" Aika grinned in a denying manner. "Vyse wouldn't want someone like her. I mean, who knows where she's been?"  
"Seeing I'm a good deal older than you," said a voice in perfect Arcadian, "I'd say I've been to many a more places than you have."

Aika's eyes widened slightly, and she turned around slowly.

"Uh...uh...I err...uh...so you travel a lot?" she asked.  
"Tell me...you wouldn't happen to be the group of air pirates that escaped from the Grand Fortress, would you?" the dancer asked, focusing on Vyse.  
Vyse blinked and slowly reached for his Pistol. "Hey! How do you know about that?"  
The dancer smiled. "In a place like this, you hear all sorts of things. Rumours, gossip, news from the other lands…" She paused and took a seat beside him. "Even air pirates in need of a ship to take them to the Temple of Pyrynn."  
Vyse's eyes narrowed slightly, "You seem to know a lot about us," he said cautiously.

"Well, I'd like to know why you're trying to get to the Temple," the dancer asked with interest, "I might be able to help."

"We're looking of a object of value there," said Fina brightly, "It is of some value to me."

"I see," the dancer looked thoughtful for a moment, "Well, I have a ship. It's very short range, but it should get you to the temple in about a day's time."  
Vyse blinked, he hadn't been expecting that.

"Really, You'll help us?"

"Wait a minute," cried Aika, clearly not buying the fact this total stranger was helping them for no reason, "We don't even know you. Why would you help us?"

"My name is Bellena," the Dancer replied "and let's just say That people who can escape the Grand Fortress…interests me."

She stood up again, staring down at Vyse.

"If you want the ride," she said to him with a smile, "Then meet me by the docks tomorrow morning, around eight o clock. See you there, Handsome."

And she blew him a kiss from under her veil before walking back to the stage to continue her dancing.


	13. Journey to the Temple

**CHAPTER 12  
JOURNEY TO THE TEMPLE**

"I don't like it," muttered Aika, as they walked though the deserted streets, the red moon shining brightly over them.

"It's not like we have a choice," Vyse replied, "this is our best chance to reach the Temple quickly."

"I agree with Vyse," Said Fina, quietly, smiling shyly, "This could be our only chance to…chance to…"

She suddenly yawned, slumping slightly against Vyse's shoulder.

"You look dead on your feet," he said with a smile.

"I'm am very sorry," she murmured, her eyelids drooping, "Today's adventuring seems to have tired me out."

Vyse sighed and gently picked her up, her head leaning against his shoulder.

"What?" He asked Aika when she shot him a look, of amusement, with a hint of jealousy, "She's tired, it's obvious she can't walk much farther. Do _you _want to carry her?"

She opened her mouth to say something, thought about it before grinning with embarrassment and uttering a quiet "no,"

Satisfied he had won this battle, Vyse strode back to the Inn, looking forward to a good nights sleep.

By the time they reached their room, Fina had fallen fast asleep.

Vyse carefully laid her down on a bed, and tucked her into her bed covers, before gently brushing a lock of hair out of her face and pulling the soft curtain around her bed.

"I just don't like it," Aika said mutinously as she changed into her nightwear behind a screen, "I mean, we just met her, and your perfectly smitten with her!"

"You have a vivid imagination Aika," Vyse murmured as he gazed at Fina with uncharacteristically soft eyes, "First Fina, now Bellena, were do you get these notions?"

"Gee I don't know," Aika said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Maybe the fact that your voice grows softer slightly when you talk about either of them!"

Vyse suddenly glared at the shadow of Aika behind the screen.

"I do not!" he said angrily, flushing red.

"Yeah right." Aika scoffed, a knowing smirk all over her face, coming out from behind the screen in a pair of tight shorts and small top, showing off her midriff, "And Carlos is a Silvite!"

Vyse scowled deeply, before averting his friend's eyes

"I consider Fina a friend and Bellena…an acquaintance," he said quietly after a moment, "Nothing more, nothing less."

"If you say so," Aika sighed "So are you going to take up Bellena's offer?"

"We don't have a choice," Vyse ran a hand through his hair as he stripped down to his pants for bed, "We don't have a ship, we don't have a lot of money…we have to take what we can get. Can we talk about this more in the morning? I'm so tired, I just want to sleep,"

"Sure, I understand," Aika nodded as she climbed in between the sheets of her bed, "See you in the morning Vyse, maybe tomorrow will be better,"

"Maybe," Vyse sighed as he turned on his side, gazing out at the red moon above him, "I hope so. Goodnight Aika,"

"Night,"

As the two Blue Rogues slowly dozed into the world of slumber, Fina lay wide awake, trying to absorb everything she'd heard.

* * *

Fina woke up the next day alone and confused 

Just a friend.

Vyse thought of her as just a friend.

That…hurt her.

But why?

She thought of him exactly the same…

Didn't she?

"Hey Fina,"

The Silvite let out a small scream as Vyse suddenly popped up beside her, laughing his head off as she clutched at chest, taking deep breaths.

"Vyse you scared me!" Fina sounded indignant, "That wasn't funny,"

"Sorry," his laughter subsided as he sat down on the edge of her bed, "I couldn't resist,"

She couldn't resist a small smile.

"Don't scare me like that," she sighed as she slipped out of the covers, smoothing out a wrinkle in her dress, "One day you'll do that to me and I'll accidentally hit you, or freeze you, or…"

"Oh relax Fina," The Rogue gave his friend a one armed hug, "It was just a joke. One of these days, we have to find you a proper sense of humour,"

Fine didn't reply. She just looked down at her bare feet, praying to the moons Vyse couldn't see her flushed cheeks.

She smiled slightly as he finally left and headed out of the room, chuckling quietly to himself.

Yes, maybe she was just a friend to him right now. They'd only known each other a couple of weeks at most.

And yet…somehow, she felt as thought they were destined for so much more.

* * *

All to soon Eight o'clock came around and they found Bellena waiting by the dock, dressed in something a little more suitable for wearing on a voyage. 

"Hey Vyse," she said with a wink in Vyse's direction, "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a log thanks," he replied with a smile, ignoring the sharp look from Aika, "We're all set, and ready to go when you are."

"Excellent," Bellena said with a smile. "This is my ship, so the sooner we go, the sooner we get to the temple."  
"Hey wait a minute," Aika demanded, steeping forward in front of Vyse, her gaze stern," I've got a question to ask you. You don't know us. You only just met us yesterday. So why are you helping us?"  
"Humph. You are not very grateful, are you?" Bellena looked at Aika in a fashion that slightly reminded him of the way he'd seen a person from Valua do when they had talked about Lower City, "If you were dying of thirst, and somebody offered you water, you would probably ask where it came from first!"  
"What?!" Aika glared at the dancer, her eyes full of hatred.  
Bellena smiled slightly, then turned away and looked at her ship. Her face fell into an expression of sadness, and she sighed. "Very well, then. I will tell you why I wish to help you." She closed her eyes, as if remembering a very painful incident, before taking a deep breath and beginning.

"My father was a soldier. He didn't have a lot of money and was sometimes a little short- tempered, but he was a good man, and a good father. We struggled to get by, and my father was barely able to support us. We had nothing to rely on but each other...but we were happy. Until that day...21 years ago...  
21 years ago, Valua and Nasr declared war on each other. And my father...died in battle. When he died, we had nothing...no food...nobody to support us...nobody to raise us...we had to live on the streets. Some say you can't die from a broken heart, but they're wrong. My mother died soon after my father, she was so sad, I was alone...and scared...I had to fend for myself on the streets. And that's how I ended up living...like this.  
Ever since then, I've hated war. Hundreds of people die...hundreds of families have to go through what I went through. And that is why I'm letting you...no, I want you to use my ship...Please."  
"Oh, Bellena ...we had no idea…" Fina quietly replied, clasping her hands over her chest.  
Aika had fallen silent. She looked heavily ashamed.  
"Are you satisfied?!" Bellena demanded, tears forming in her eyes. "Or have you any more demands of me?"  
Aika looked ashamed, "I'm sorry, Bellena. I...I shouldn't have said what I did...I lost my parents when I was young, too...I know how you feel...and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me."  
"As long as you understand...and do not take my generosity for granted...I can find it within myself to forgive you," Bellena replied. She shook her head, wiping at her eyes, then forced a smile. "I can not blame you for not trusting me. After spending so much time in Valua, with your lives on the end of a guard's bayonet, I would not trust people either were I in the same position. Now like I said, the temple is a day away so the sooner we get going, the sooner we get there."

* * *

As darkness fell upon the Little Jack like a star-studded blanket, Drachma considered altering his course once he had passed back through the stone reef to spend the night in Nasrad. He had left Maramba far behind and now was about an hour from Nasr's capital city, and he certainly needed refuelling. Seeing he had left Vyse and his friends in Maramba, he had spent most of the day working to keep the engine cool. He had to admit to himself that he did miss the extra hands aboard his ship, if only for that reason.  
Deciding that Nasrad was too far out of the way, the old man continued to sail for Sailors Island. "_The sooner I get out of this sandbox the better!_" he thought to himself. He continued to sail along the reef, silent and alone. The ship was quiet, save for the loud clanking of the engine down below that he had by now learned to ignore. There was no chattering, no teasing, no storytelling and laughing. All there was to fill the empty void was silence. 

"Damnit!" he cried in a sudden outburst, hitting the console in front of him, making the ship drop anchor and come to a stop.

He just stood there, bent over the wheel, his artificial arm leaning on the window, breathing heavily.

"Should I have left those kids alone?" he asked himself aloud, "Bah! What am I worryin' about? Someone else'll take care of 'em."  
He tried to convince himself of that, but he couldn't. Vyse was still young and inexperienced as a sailor, even after all that Drachma had taught him in the passing weeks. Aika was too headstrong; he knew her mouth would get her into deep trouble. Fina was so frail and fragile, with absolutely no understanding of the world around her whatsoever. Despite Vyse's attempts to constantly try and protect her, even he could only do so much. Could those three really be able to make it on their own?  
"Of course they could!" he said to nobody.  
But then something caught his eye, an array of red and yellow lights, blinking on and off.

He stared at them for a moment, wondering what they could be.

"There's no unexplained lights on the Discovery list," Drachma pondered, standing up slightly, concentrating on the lights, "Not around here anyway."

As he watched the lights, the Red moon high above them suddenly came out from behind a cloud, making the producer of the lights show up amid the mass of rocks.

It was a ship, but no ordinary ship. It was a Valuan flagship. Its sleek, rounded form, compact size, and pink colour were all very non-traditional as far as Valuan ships went, but it was those exact traits that identified it in blazing glory. Drachma's eye widened as he realised what it was.

"Impossible" he breathed. "She couldn't have. There's no way…"  
Hoping he could get back to Maramba before she did, he raised his anchor and started his engine again. He couldn't wait, he couldn't sit around anymore.

* * *

Vyse stood on the bow of Bellena's ship, staring out over the constantly flowing sands, creating little whirlwinds in the desert. 

The ship itself was very small, decorated with huge eyes on the bow and a veil across the point, and propelled by three paddles on each side. A tent set up on deck was the only shelter they had, for there was no real cabin.

"Something on your mind Vyse?"

He turned around to find Bellena standing before him, dressed in white clothing to keep the sun off, covering all but her face and hands. Allowing her soft red hair to flow behind her.

"Shouldn't you be steering?" he asked with a small smile.

"I left Aika to drive," she said, returning the smile, "Why, is that a bad thing?"

"Only if you want your boat to have a fresh coat of paint applied," he replied with a laugh.

She began to laugh as well, but stopped suddenly, looking down at the deck in distraction.  
"Is something on your mind?" he asked her, his voice filled with concern, "Are you really that worried for us?"

"Your safety is not what I'm overly concerned about." She smiled a bit, taking a few steps closer to him, "Anyone who can break out of the Grand Fortress can most definitely take care of themselves. I don't know how to explain it, I just...have a terrible feeling in my gut about tomorrow." She gazed off at the cliffs as they slowly loomed into view, "I have a feeling I'm going to do something I will deeply regret."  
Vyse paused, unsure of how to respond.

While he looked at her, he suddenly had an idea.  
"Bellena?"  
"Yes?"  
"If you're fed up with dancing for rowdy sailors, why don't you come with us?" Vyse locked gazes with her, his face completely serious. "You don't have to be good at raiding to be a Blue Rogue., I mean look at Fina. You wouldn't call her a typical air pirate, would you? There's nothing more important in life than following your heart, and your dreams, trust me I know.

You've helped us out so much, and I want to return something to you."  
Bellena smiled, and took a few more steps towards him, to the point they were almost a hands breath apart. Leaning over, she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Stay alive in the coming future, Vyse." She said with a smile to his shocked face, "That is all the thanks I need."

* * *

The Temple of Pyrynn was more impressive than Vyse had imagined it to be. 

Immense stone pillars framed the sandy path, leading to a long courtyard to a massive pyramid on the eastern end, to which a long flight of steep stairs led up. on either side of the courtyard were four huge head statues, each of them roughly the size as the Albatross, all staring blankly at them as they walked in.

"This…this place is amazing!" Aika gasped as she gazed around with wonder, "How could anyone build something this big?"

"The Temple of Pyrynn was the most holy place in the entire Red Civilisation," Fina said, smiling at the awe on Aika's face, "Later on, they used it as a Base of operations for the Red Gigas, Recumen."

"Even the government won't enter here," Bellena said quietly looking up the long flight of steps, "They say the place is rigged with traps. Those who have tried to get in, have never returned."

"Great, I love a challenge," Vyse said rubbing his hands together, "I can't wait to see what's inside."

"TREASURE!!!" Aika suddenly yelped dancing around the three of them, "A place that big, there's gotta be some sort of treasure. Jewels, gold coins, emeralds, think what we could buy with all that!"

Fina looked at Aika, confused.

"B…buy?" she asked, "Um…what does that mean…exactly?"

Aika stopped mid dance, tripping over her own feet.

"You don't know what that is?" she asked picking herself up.

Fina blushed and looked away ashamedly. "I-I'm sorry...this is just my first time travelling, and...everything is so new to me"  
"You don't need to look hard to find a shop..." Aika said, dusting herself off and giving Fina a exasperated look, "Everyone buys things. It's...it's normal. You really don't get out much, do you?"  
Fina looked down sadly.

"Maybe they don't have to buy stuff where Fina's from," Vyse said defensively, "Maybe they have no need for gold. Maybe they're all not shopping freaks!"

Aika said nothing but smothered a giggle.

"Your cute when your mad you know that?" she said with an evil grin, making him flush red.

Bellena laughed at the three of them, putting a hand to her moth to hide it.

"You lot are all so funny." she said, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Seeing how close of friends you are really warms my heart. Makes me want to settle down."  
"Yeah, well, I'm sure a beautiful lady like yourself has a much better man than Mister Foot-In-His-Mouth here," Aika said.  
"Hahahaha...no, sorry, there is nobody special in my life right now." Bellena smiled, but it was sad and forced. She paused to brush a wavy lock of golden red hair from her eyes. "Well...there is someone I am in love with, but...he would never give me a second look. No, not even a first look."

"Where I come from, we have a saying," Fina said, looking up into Bellena's eyes, " 'Faith, Manages'. If you truly put your mind to something then it will come true. If you do nothing, then you wouldn't be able to live with yourself, because you hadn't tried. Trying, is the key to success."

She smiled at her warmly.

"Thank you for the advice Fina," she said, "I will keep it in mind."

"So what are you going to do Bellena?" Vyse asked.

"I think I'll stay out here," she said with a smile, "I don't think I could fight in this outfit. Just come out alive, All of you."


	14. The Temple of Recumen

Happy anniversary!  
Yes ladies and gents, it has been exactly ONE year since I started to upload this fic. ONE YEAR! and I've only uploaded 13 chapters. Sotrry about that. This is also a apology for not updating last month (I had a lot going on at the time) So this chapter is actually longer then most of the others (It's around 15 pages in bookman oldstyle size 14)  
Hope you enjoy.  
Dearing

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 13**

**THE TEMPLE OF RECUMEN**

"I don't like this," Muttered Vyse, "I don't like this at all,"

The path in front of them lay ahead, bright red moonstones lighting the way.

They were inside the Pyramid, having not found anything but a several slopping corridors, all heading down.

"I believe this is the right way though," Fina said timidly.

"I don't deny that," Vyse replied quietly, it's what's on the floor of this corridor that worries me."

Strewn across the path in front of them was the remains of bones and clothing, some of which seemed to still be drenched in blood. Across most of the floor was a fine powder, as though some bones had been crushed by something.

"I'll go first," Vyse said decidedly, "Then once I'm at the bottom you follow.

"No!" Fina suddenly cried out, surprising both Vyse and Aika, "If you were killed by this trap I would never forgive myself. We'll go together, that way we can look out for each other,"

Vyse nodded, taking the lead all the same.

The path was long and sloped downwards into a black abyss below, every so often large alcoves appearing out of the gloom, each easily able to contain a person or two.

"This seems…too easy." Aika murmured, walking cautiously down the corridor.

"Don't say that, "Vyse muttered quietly as they came up to yet another set of alcoves, "Every time you say that say that something bad happens!"

At that moment a sudden thud was heard from the direction they came from.

"See what I mean?"

Out of the gloom, bowling down the corridor with increasing speed, came a a giant stone ball. It's giant bulk reaching from one side of the passage to the other. It came closer and closer, bits of bone and clothing crushed under it's immense weight as it approched.

"We have to move!" Vyse yelled, "Now!"

But neither of the girls moved, their faces a picture of fear at the approaching stone mass.

Thinking quickly, Vyse in one fluid movement kicked Aika into the opposite alcove, at the same time grabbing Fina around her waist and dragging her into the other, holding her close.

The boulder lumbered past them, sending pieces of stone and bone at him, causing him to wince slightly as he shielded her.

Eventually the rumbling got more and more distant, before ending in a dull thump.

Vyse stood there quietly, holding Fina close, making sure that no other boulders would come down the slope.

"Are you ok?" he asked, checking her over.

She said nothing, she just stared at him, deep respect in her eyes.

"You…saved me." she finally said, "You risked your life for me."

Vyse looked at her kindly.

"I've promised I'll protect you," he replied, "No matter what."

She smiled at him, her green eyes shining in the dim light.

They both said nothing, standing there, looking deep into each others eyes, arms circled around each other.

She gently laid a hand his chest, over his heart, and Vyse felt it beginning to speed up. She noticed the change in its rhythm and looked up at him, her cheeks flushed with colour. When their eyes locked, he felt like he was unable to stand. Her eyes, so deep and full of spirit, so beautiful, bewitched him and filled him with more emotion than he had ever felt in his life.  
He felt himself begin to lean towards her, he couldn't control himself.

She gazed up at him, her mind completely blank, focused only on him.

They were mere centimetres apart, eyes still fixed on each other, when All of a sudden there was a lot of coughing and hacking from the corridor.

Vyse looked alarmed and quickly let go and pulled back, his face red.

Out of the gloom, coughing a lot from the dust, came Aika and Cupil.

"Are you alright?" Vyse asked.

"Fine," Aika wheezed, leaning against the wall, "Just fine. Cupil absorbed all the debris from the boulder. Are you two ok?"

Vyse glanced at Fina, who gave him a shy smile and turned around to see if Cupil was alright.

"We're fine," he replied shortly, "I doubt any more boulders will come down here, right Fina?"

"I believe so," Fina replied quietly, as they walked down to the end of the corridor, "There should be a short path leading to the Guardians chamber before the Crystal itself."

"Guardians Chamber?" Aika asked.

"Yes, each of the Gigas are protected by a guardian, as a sort of last defence," Fina explained, "two however are protected by the Gigas themselves as well as a guardian."

"That's not good," Muttered Vyse as the door slid open.

Behind him took his breath away.

Before was a large cavern. So large in fact, he couldn't see the sides or the roof.

in front of him was a narrow walkway, wide enough for two people to stand slightly uncomfortably beside each other.

Far below them was the only thing lighting the immense room.

"What is that?" Vyse asked, shielding his eyes from the hot red light.

"It's lava," Fina said, looking slightly worried.

"Lava?"

"Yes. Lava is molten rock. Rock that has become so hot that it has melted into a liquid form," Fina replied, "When lava cools and hardens, it becomes land."  
"So the islands are made out of lava?" Aika asked.  
Fina nodded. "Exactly. It is the hottest substance that my people know of. I do not believe that we will be of much danger up here, however, to be to close will melt away the soles of your boots. To actually touch it will melt you to your very core."

Aika gulped and peered over the edge.

"That's hot." she said, "I guess we shouldn't fall off then."

"That would be advisable," Said a new, cold voice.

Vyse looked up in surprise, he hadn't expected anyone else to be in the pyramid. No one had followed them to his knowledge.

"Who are you?" he called out.

An evil laugh came out of the darkness, making him shiver slightly.

Out of the darkness came a member of an organisation hated by Blue Rouges and Black Pirates alike.

He was covered up from head to toe in heavy set clothes.

His feet were clad in thick boots made of animal hide, with matching gloves.

His head was encased in a bandanna of red witch covered his hair and mouth, with his eyes covered by red-len goggles.

"You're a part of the Zivilyn Bane," Vyse spat, clearly disgusted, "You steal valuable treasures from all over the known world.

"You are correct," the Bane sneered, "It is what we live for, What we die for. And this is are latest achievement."

He held up a small tablet, studded with rubies of the deepest red, engraved with an ancient text.

"That's the Rune of Ill Omen!" Aika gasped, "That's the most valuable treasure in the Nasr Kingdom!"

"Your wrong redhead," the Bane said smugly, "You see although this treasure is valuable, I'm looking from something more powerful. A Red Jewel so powerful, that it could power a Valuan Battleship for centuries. A Jewel so powerful, It could control a living weapon, people call…a Gigas."

Fina gasped and put her hands over her mouth.

Vyse said nothing for a moment, angrily unsheathing his swords.

"If you want the Crystal," He said angrily, drawing his cutlasses, "Then you'll have to go through me."

The Bane looked blankly at him, before laughing out loud.

"You _dare_ try and face me? One of the brotherhood of the Zivilyn Bane!?" He laughed again as he unsheathed his short Nasrean cutlass, "Very well. So be it, Rogue."

With a sudden cry he charged at Vyse his blade ready to come down his head.

Vyse managed to block his attack with ease by crossing his cutlasses.

He shoved the Bane back into the darkness, keeping him away from the girls, before running after him, the lava below his only light.

Another war cry and the Bane launched himself into a series of fast and precise blows, only to find they glanced off Vyse's armour.

Vyse then tried to return the blows, only to find the fine Nasrean steel of the Bane's blade in his way.

By this time they were at the other end of the cavern, the large door of the guardians chamber looming out of the darkness.

Although most of the Banes blows had merely scratched his armour, Vyse was starting to tire, his blows beginning to get weaker.

With an almighty shove he managed to push the Bane away, giving him time to breath.

"Time for me to end this." The Bane sneered.

From his pocket he revealed a small Valuan explosive called a grenade.

With lightning movements, he pulled the key out of the top and threw it at Vyse.

The resulting explosion threw Vyse off balance, sending him flying backwards onto the cold hard stone.

He heard Fina scream and Aika call out his name with fear.

The path in front of him was engulfed by flames, the narrow path crumbling slightly from the force of the explosion.

"And now to end your suffering my friend," said a voice from the darkness.

Vyse looked up to see the Bane high in the air over the curtain of flame, his blade held above his head, poised for the final deadly blow.

Vyse thought fast.

In one swift movement he reached for his grappler, aimed, and fired.

The Grapple hook shot out in a blast of steam, hitting the Bane square in the chest.

The force of the impact threw the Bandit of balance, causing him to miss Vyse and the walkway itself entirely.

The last thing Vyse heard was his terrified screams as he plummeted to his doom, before blacking out.

* * *

"Vyse? Can you hear me? Please be alright Vyse."

Vyse let out a groan, his head pounding like someone was firing cannons inside it.

"Aika! He's waking up!"

"Where are we?" he murmured, "And why does my head hurt?"

His vision was blurred, his arms aching.

"You saved us Vyse." The excited voice of Aika chirped up, "We owe you big time!"

As his vision cleared, he noticed he was on his back, his head being held carefully in someone's hand.

When his vision finally cleared up, he realised that Fina was bending over him, making sure he was ok.

"Hi Fina," he said weakly.

She gave him a small reassuring smile and helped him into a sitting position.

"I performed the Increm to help wake you up," she explained, "Here drink this, you'll feel better."

She gave him a small canteen of water, from which he drank deeply.

"What happened to the Zivilyn Bane?" he asked,

Fina looked uncomfortable as Aika explained.

"You pushed him over the edge with the Grappler. Not the nicest way to die. Apparently No armour or clothing can protect you from a full contact with lava."

Vyse's eyes went wide with shock.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, "I didn't realise it would be painful. I didn't know. I didn't think. He was bearing down on me and I just reacted…"

"We know," said Aika, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Sometimes we act on instinct when our lives…or the lives of those we love…are on the line. Even Daccat made a few choices in the heat of the moment. It just happens."

Vyse nodded. Still angry at him self.

"I was only trying to protect you guys," he said as he sheathed his cutlasses, "If either of you got hurt I…I don't know what I'd do."

Aika smiled reassuringly but it was Fina's reaction that surprised him the most.

She stood up suddenly and without hesitation hugged him tightly, burying her face in his tunic. He blinked and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, enjoying her closeness.  
"I know you'll keep Aika and I safe, Vyse," Fina replied. "I'll be brave...for you…"  
"And I'll protect you two with my life. I promise." he replied, stroking her hair gently.

Aika and Cupil gawked at the two of them as they embraced.

"Err…hate to interrupt," Aika said hesitantly, "But don't we have to fight some monstrous beast on the other side of this door. Can we save the mushy stuff for later?"

The Silvite looked alarmed and quickly let go.

"I'm Sorry! Did I do something bad? I thought I was thanking him! I meant no disrespect!"

Aika laughed at her apologies.

"I know you mean well," She said wiping the tears from eyes, "I'm just saying this isn't really the time or the place for mushy stuff. Save for when we're safely back in Maramba."

Fina nodded and bowed slightly to her before bowing apologetically to Vyse, who made her stand up straight.

"You don't have to constantly bow to me every time you think you do something wrong," He said with a sigh, "I'm your friend, everyone makes mistakes."

She looked at him curiously, slight confusion crossing her features.

Vyse rolled his eyes at her before heading for the giant stone door.

Inside he actually found it to be surprising.

They found themselves in a considerably smaller room, with a large pool of lava separating them from the door on the other side. Oddly enough, the chamber was roughly hewn and not nearly as elaborate as the other rooms had been. It looked much more primitive.

"What kind of monster lives here?" Aika asked looking around.

Fina looked at her with fear.

"A Rockwyrm." she said fearfully.

Suddenly, out of the lava there came a mighty roar.

The lava in the pool began to slowly swirl downwards as a massive beast began to slowly raise up.

First came an array of small spikes, followed by dark tanned rock-like skin. Then came a squared shaped, jagged head, with small round, beady eyes, its mouth filled with sharp dangerous teeth. The rest of it's segmented body was covered in spikes.

It towered above them, eyeing them with indignation.

"I don't think it likes us," Vyse muttered.

Suddenly the Rockwyrm roared again and drove for Fina.

"Fina look out!"

Vyse ran and knocked her to ground, just in time.

"Are you all right?" he asked her quietly.

"I…I think so," She replied meekly.

The giant monster reared it's ugly head once more as it turned it's beady eyes to the creatures in front of it. Suddenly with out warning, it darted for Vyse, it's mouth opened wide in anticipation of a small morsol.

Without so much as a second thought, The Blue Rogue's larger cutlass was out in a flash, it's blade thrust up into the Rockwyrm's jaw as it passed him.

The immense monster roared in pain, trying to shake the cutlass loose of it's firm lodgement in it's mouth.

"There's no way we can get past that thing!" Aika gasped as the Rockwyrm swung it's head into a wall, "Nothing is impossible Aika!" Vyse yelled back, "There has to be some way to defeat it."  
"Oh," Fina exclaimed and reached into her pouch taking out the Rune of Ill Omen, "I wonder if…"

She suddenly stepped boldly in front of the pained beast, holding the Rune out in front of her.

The Rockwyrm finally dislodged the cutlass, sending it clattering into the lava. It eyed Fina warily, unsure of how to proceed.

"Fina what are you doing?!" Vyse whispered frantically, "Get back here quickly before it hurts you."

Fina said nothing, she just held the Rune of Ill Omen in front of her and began to chant.

"In this my time of need.

I call forth the power

Of the Red moon

May the great beast

That I chant this,

The Rune of Ill Omen, to

Have his worst fears

Come True!"

As she finished her chant above the Rockwyrm gigantic rain clouds began to appears.

The Rockwyrm looked up with fear as the clouds began to swirl and thunder.

Suddenly rain hailed down onto the beast beginning to slowly corrode it's skin away.

The Rockwyrm bellowed in pain, as the rain also pelted the lava, sending burning hot steam up on to it's now unprotected skin.

In an attempt to get away from the cascading rain it ducked under the lava, coming up again a moment later, and blasting hot ash in Fina's direction.

Aika suddenly ran out in front of her only to be engulfed by the ash.

Vyse shaded himself from the storm, knowing there was no help for his friend.

When the ash died down, what he saw made his heart stop.

Both Fina and Aika were petrified, standing as still as statues, each covered in ash.

Aika stood defensively over Fina, who was hunched over the Rune.

With Fina gone, the rain clouds dissipated, leaving only Vyse, the Rockwyrm, and Cupil.

The silver ball began to squeak frantically as it's master was turned to stone.

It wasn't that that surprised Vyse the most however, it was the fact that he could here a voice in his head.

"_What will I do_?" it asked frantically as Cupil circled his head around and around, "_What'll I…do_? _Mistress Fina is turned to stone_, _I'm lost_! _What will I do_? _I…I can't hear her thoughts_, _I have no instructions_, _I'm alone_! _What will I do_? _What will I__…_"

"Cupil!" Vyse yelled, far louder than he had wanted.

The Voice in his head stopped and the silver animal looked at him with astonishment.

"_You…you can hear me_?" the voice said, clearly alarmed, "_But…but only Mistress Fina can hear me. How can you hear me_? _Your not even a Silvite_!"

"It's something I'll have to ask Fina when we rescue her," Vyse said irritably, pressing himself against the wall so the Rockwyrm couldn't see him, "There _is_ a way to rescue her and Aika…right?"

Cupil nodded frantically,

"_Oh yes, yes, but first we must defeat the Rockwyrm. Otherwise we are in big trouble_,_ HUGE trouble_!"

"But how do I do that?" Vyse asked.

Cupil suddenly closed it's eyes and disappeared into thin air, reappearing in his hand. It was warm and slippery to the touch.

"_Concentrate you energy through me," _It said, _"Picture the most powerful sword you know of. Then, you must drive me directly into the Rockwyrm, allowing me to take it out from the inside!"_

"But what if it ducks below the lava?" Vyse asked, knowing how much Fina loved the little ball of…silver stuff.

"_I am indestructible_," The voice in his head replied proudly, "_Nothing can destroy me_!"

"No need to brag," Vyse muttered mutinously as he thought up the most powerful sword he knew of, the sword of Daccat.

It was roughly half his height, with little spikes jutting out along one edge to increase the damage done by it.

He felt movement in his hand, like someone had dropped a couple of worms on it.

Upon looking down he realised he was looking at the sword he had thought up, only it was entirely silver and had two little black dots of a pair of eyes stretched along the blade.

"_You must get me to at least to the top of the neck for this to work_," The voice said.

Vyse smiled and unsheathed his second cutlass from under his tunic.

He started to run towards Rockwyrm, his cutlass and Cupil ready to strike.

The Immense fire beast roared in defence as the Blue Rogue ran towards it.

Vyse jumped high into the air ignoring the searing heat of the lava below, landing on the remains of one of spikes on the back of it's neck.

Vyse acted quickly and drove his smaller cutlass into the Rockwyrm's back, giving himself something to support him so he could climb up to the head.

The Rockwyrm kept shaking it's ugly head, trying to shake off the small creature that had decided it would be fun to poke it in the back.

Vyse finally reached the segment between the head and body.

He once again drove his cutlass into the Rockwyrm's back, giving him a place to stand on.

The beast howled with pain and began to thrash again.

Before he attacked he looked over at the still form of Fina and Aika.

"I do this for you," He sighed.

With all his might, he thrust Cupil deep inside the Rock monsters tough hide, causing it to scream out in pain.

As he pushed it in further to the hilt, Cupil slowly changed again, allowing itself to slip into the monsters blood stream.

The Rockwyrm froze for a moment, before beginning to writhe in pain, throwing Vyse of it's back and into a wall.

Vyse felt pain spasm through his body as he hit it, blood leaking from his head as he landed on the floor, the taste of iron filling his mouth and senses.

But that was nothing compared to the pain that the Rockwyrm was going through.

It was screaming, so high that it hurt Vyse's eardrums.

It threw itself against the walls of the chamber, as if trying to rid itself of something by beating it out.

Suddenly it began to grow purple, it's body looking as though it was freezing over!

Vyse gasped as sure enough, small pockets of crystals were beginning to pop up all over it's skin.

The pockets grew into large spots, the spots began to merge and cover the entire beast.

It was all the Rockwyrm could do but look fearfully as it was frozen from the inside out, despite the lava around it.

Soon it was completely frozen, bobbing slowly like a bottle in water.

Vyse stood up, a confused look on his face.

Suddenly the ice began to crack, before totally shattering, leaving the limp form of the Rockwyrm to fall back into lava and sink below the burning liquid.

As the last of it sunk below the lava, Cupil seeped out of it's mouth as ash suddenly fell from Fina and Aika like dust from a shelf.

Aika fell to one knee, clearly drain of all her energy, panting for breath.

Fina blinked and stood up straight, gazing about.

"Ok…What just happened?" Aika panted, standing up straight.

"I am not certain," Fina murmured, looking down at the rune in her arms, "The last thing I remember was casting the spell of the Rune, and then…and then,"

Her eyes suddenly fell on Vyse, down on one knee, Cupil hovering worriedly over him.

"Vyse!" she gasped as she ran over to him, kneeing down beside him, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," He said, forcing a smile through the pain in his head, "I'm just fine,"

She looked at him with worry.

"You can't keep protecting us like this Vyse," She said, "You keep getting badly hurt."

"Jimmy's dad says 'things that don't kill you will hurt at first, but it is that which makes us stronger,' " he said with a grin, "I've been beaten up far worse than this before. Hey I'm still alive, and as long as I'm still alive, I'll protect you both with my life."

She smiled at him as Aika came up behind her and hugged Vyse tightly.

"Your brilliant Vyse," she murmured, "Not even pain stops you,"

Vyse smiled slightly at the compliment, although something was on his mind.

He had heard Cupil in his head, and yet, now he couldn't hear anything, just the bubbling of the lava. Why was he able to hear Cupil? He had never heard the silver animal before, why had he been able to hear him in his most time of need.

He suddenly noticed Fina was staring at him, her eyes slightly out of focus.

"_Now why are you staring at me like that_?" he wondered.

All of a sudden Fina blinked and looked down, as if ashamed.

Deciding he would ask her about when they were out of danger, Vyse uncoupled Aika from around his neck and stood up.

"Is the crystal in the next room?" he asked Fina as he pulled her up.

"Yes," Fina said quietly, averting his eyes.

"But there's just one problem," Aika said, standing on the edge of the pool of lava, "We're over here, and the doors over there, how are we supposed to get to it?"

As if in answer to her question, the door shunted downwards slightly, before falling down to the floor with a bang, creating a bridge across the lava.

"I think that's how," Vyse said with a smile at the look of shock on Aika's face.

The trio walked slowly across the bridge to the next room.

What they was made them gasp.

The room itself was made of stone, the walls were decorated in elaborate gold pictures, depicting the Red Civilization in the height of its glory. Hieroglyphics narrated the scene, forming borders around the walls, and the pictures were coloured in with glass and semiprecious jewels. They were standing on a raised walkway and below them were coins, jewels and treasure of only Aika's wildest dream.

In the centre how ever, was a treasure that made all the others pale in comparison.  
It was sitting on a small gold alter, shaped like a four headed beast, each head as long as it's legs, each easily two metres long.

Each head looked outwards, as if protecting the treasure that sat in the centre.

"Is that…?" Aika breathed.

"Yes," Fina said with a smile, "That is the red crystal."

She slowly walked towards it, the red glow reflecting in her dark eyes. "Look at it" She said quietly, "although thousands of years have passed since the destruction of the Old World, the crystal still shines as bright as ever."  
"I get weak in the knees just looking at it..." Aika replied, staring at the crystal unblinkingly. "I've...I've never seen anything like this!"  
"A moon crystal is pure power," Fina replied, "It is the most concentrated source of energy you'll ever see. This crystal alone has the power of thousands...no, tens of thousands of moonstones."  
"I can see why it's needed to control something the size of the Gigas," Vyse concluded in awe.  
"Exactly." Slowly, Fina reached out, then took the crystal in to her hands. She shivered a bit upon making contact with it, then smiled, turning back to them and holding it out for them to see. "We've finally found the first crystal! And it was all thanks to you!"  
"No, Fina, it's thanks to you too!" Vyse grinned, "There's no way we can let Valua get their hands on something like this! They're gonna have to take it off my dead body before I give it to them!"

She smiled gratefully up at him.

"Thank you Vyse," She said warmly, "I'm sure you will do your best."


	15. The Battle On The Desert Sea

This may be my last entry for a while.  
The simple reason is I've sort of lost my SoA Mojo. I haven't played the game for years, and the last thing you lot want to read is a bad fic without it's mojo am I right?  
On the plus side, I've begun writing one of the other fics from my LoAS Universe; The Search for the Silver City.  
The reason this isn't as affected by SoA mojo as LoAS is because it's based on the Studio Ghibli film; Laputa: Castle In The Sky, So it relies less on what I remember of the game, the this fic. It also contains info that will be inportant later, so that's another reason why I won't be updating this for a while.  
At any rate, I'll update this fic again reguardless sometime by August, You have my word.

Alright, see you round.

Dearing

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 14 **

**THE BATTLE ON THE DESERT SEA**

"Your alive! I knew you could do it!"

Bellena was overjoyed when the three of them ran down the stairs, beaming happily.

"We got the Moon Crystal too," Vyse said proudly.

"So you did find it!" Vyse suddenly saw something in her eyes that made him feel uncomfortable, it was something he had never seen before, "May I be able to see it?"

"Of course!" Fina said, smiling.

She reached down slowly into her pouch and picked the Crystal, before bringing it out into the sunlight, making it shine even more brightly.

Bellena's eyes lit up when she saw it, her eyes shining with burning passion.

"Might I be able to hold it?" she asked.

Fina looked puzzled, before nodding and holding out the crystal for Bellena.

"Wait," Vyse said as she reached out for it, "Why do you need to touch it? You've already seen it, why do you need to hold it?"

"I… It is a very valuable treasure," Bellena stammered, "How many times do you get to hold such a thing?"

Vyse's eyes narrowed, clearly not buying it.

"but you've seen it," He insisted, one hand gently resting on his handgun, "You see valuable treasures in Museums in Nasr…and Valua."

"Vyse what are you doing?" Aika whispered frantically, as Bellena looked stunned at Vyse's sudden coldness, "She helped us get and she wants a small payment, holding the crystal can't be that bad a payment, can it?"

"I know you've helped us a lot by bringing us here Bellena," Vyse said, still not letting the dancer get any closer to the Crystal, "But something has been nagging me from the day I set eyes on you. Apparently you started at the tavern six days ago, we left our home five day's ago. Minus the day it took us to get here and the day we've spent searching the Temple, That means you started at the tavern one day after we left home.

The ship we sailed in was fast…but a Valuan Flagship is faster."

Bellena looked at him as though he was crazy, her hand still reaching for the Crystal.

"You…you think I'm…I'm a part of the Valuan Armada?"

"No," Vyse said, "But I've studied the faces of each Admiral in the Valuan Armada. And you look pretty familiar to one of them. I don't think your Bellena, a lowly dancer from the small town of Maramba," He slowly drew his handgun and aimed it at her head, "I think your Belleza Rodriguez, the Sixth Admiral in the Valuan Armada, Chief of Covert operations."

The girls behind him gasped.

Bellena looked at him smoothly, before suddenly reaching out and grabbing the red moon crystal, holding it tightly to her chest.

"Your clever Vyse, there's no doubt about that."

She raised her arm, and from behind every pillar a Valuan soldier stepped out, swords raised. In the distance, He noticed a large pink ship, Belleza's flagship, the Lynx, in the distance.

"I must thank you Vyse!" She said, as she took off her white travelling robes, revealing a red turtle necked top, black tight admiral pants and almost thigh high boots, admiral tassels hanging from her shoulders, "Lord Galcian will be very pleased when I return to Valua with the Crystal and the Gigas."

"Not if I shoot you in the head first," Vyse spat, "have you no heart? You lied to us, everything you ever told us was a lie,"

"IT WAS NOT!!!" Belleza thundered, a tear rolling down her cheek, "I told you the truth! My father did die in battle, I never said he was Nasrean! I did live on the streets for a long time, the streets of Lower City! My mother _DID _die of a broken heart!"

Vyse said nothing as Belleza fought to regain control of her emotions.

"Years later, I too became a soldier, and I wanted to put a stop to war." She said finally, "I still do. Countries fight over borders and trade. If the world was united under one rule, there would be no more war. No more suffering. No other families would have to go through the same pain I had to go through. If Valua ruled the world, then all this would be possible."

"If Valua ruled the world," Vyse said angrily, "Then they would all live like Lower City citizens, totally devoid of any freedom whatsoever, forced to live like Valuans, eat like Valuans, and work like Valuans. I've seen what Lower City is like Belleza, You work people there day and night, building your battleships, fighting your wars, to the point where some of them don't feel like living anymore.

I'll bet you anything that every single one of these solders is from Lower City, every single one forced into it by the Valuan Government. If you've lived in Lower City Belleza, then you know what it's like. So I ask you, Why?"

Belleza said nothing, her eyes on the Crystal, clearly in deep thought.

Fina and Aika said nothing, clinging onto each other for comfort.

Vyse noticed that he might of actually hit something, because all of the soldiers were looking uncomfortable, exchanging glances.

"Your right Vyse," Belleza said, finally locking eyes with him, "But at least there would be no more fighting."

"Give me the Crystal," he said quietly, cocking the handgun, eyes narrowed, "Now."

Belleza looked at him and smiled.

"If you fire that weapon," she said, "Then my men have orders to cut you to shreds, and seeing you've lost your cutlasses, you won't be able to protect yourself, Aika, or Fina."

Vyse hesitated. If he fired the handgun, the bullet could very well kill Belleza, but that would also mean that her men would attack, and with no weapons aside from his grappler and slow firing handgun, he would be defenceless. If he didn't fire, he and the girls would live, but that would mean that the Valuan Empire would have one crystal.

"Vyse," Fina's soft voice broke the silence, "Don't do it, please. It's not worth it, it's not worth your anger."

Vyse turned around to see Fina was crying, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Vyse closed his eyes, and turned back to Belleza, who stood motionless.

He continued to have his eyes closed, before finally activating the safety catch and putting it back into it's holster.

"Fine," he said quietly.

Fina rushed up and hugged him tightly, once more hiding her face in his tunic.

Vyse held her close, as if protecting her, keeping her safe.

Aika glared at Belleza, a look of complete hatred in her eyes.

"To think we trusted you," She muttered quietly, "We thought you were our friend, and yet you were a Valuan Admiral all along."

Belleza looked down, clearly slightly ashamed of what she had done.

"I am going to spare your lives," She said quietly, "This time. Take the boat and head back to Maramba. I can't promise that you'll be caught the next time you run in with Valua, but I will do my best to make sure that your not captured soon. Now get out of here, before I summon Recumen."

Fina gasped, but Vyse said nothing, nodding curtly before heading towards the boat, Aika in tow.

Belleza sighed as she headed for the alter in the centre of the courtyard.

"See you around…Handsome."

(…)

Fina broke down completely on the deck as Vyse brought Belleza's small boat away from the temple and back towards Maramba.

"I…don't believe it," She sobbed, collapsing into a small heap as Aika and Cupil tried their best to comfort her, "I've only just started my quest and already I've lost one Crystal to Valua. I'm a failure! I'm a failure!"

Aika gathered her up into her arms and comforted her quietly.

"It's not over," Vyse said quietly as he piloted the boat back to the sea town, "Not as long as I have air in my lungs it's not over."

Fina looked up and blinked at him.

"but what can we do?" She asked, "Belleza has the Red Moon crystal. We don't have anything apart from this boat."

"Then we'll find a bigger boat," Vyse said with a smile, "One with cannons, one that can take down a Gigas. We'll rally the whole world to our cause if we have too, but this I promise you Fina," He knelt down and took her hand, "It's not over, I promise you, it's not over."

She smiled at him sadly, knowing full well that not even the entire worlds armada's combined could take on the weakest Gigas, the only way to defeat one was to find a stronger Gigas.

She was about to reply when suddenly there came a loud high pitched noise, emanating from the Temple.

She gasped and quickly looked over the side, gasping in fear.

A tall thin column of light shot suddenly up into the air, going father that the could see, the noise getting louder and higher with each passing second.

The column suddenly began to fade, as did the noise, being replaced by a low rumpling that even shook the small boat to it's timbers.

The four stones heads began to shudder and shake, great hunks of them falling as they began to rise and turn away from each other.

The courtyard was obliterated as the statues began to rise, revealing the low underbelly of the beast.

Vyse gasped, it looked just like the alter in the treasure room.

"Oh by the Moons," Fina looked at the great beast with fear as she clung to Vyse's arm, "She summoned the Red Gigas, Recumen!"

"So those weren't statues in front of the temple," Aika gasped, "Those were it's heads!"

Vyse wasn't listening, the Gigas was acting strangely, it kept trying to hit something out of the air with it's heads.

It suddenly got very agitated and began to power up some thing inside one of it's mouths.

Vyse suddenly realised that if it missed whatever it was that was irritating it, it would hit the boat.

Without bothering to explain, he quickly grabbed the girls and jumped over the side, seconds before the Red Gigas fired a deadly red ray towards them, totally obliterating the boat.

"Great, now we're stuck without a boat," Aika yelled as the red ray dissipated, "Now what are we going to do?"

"For starters you can get up here and help me fire these flaming cannons!" Said a familiar gruff voice.

Vyse looked up in surprise to see the green underside of the Little Jack, the grizzled head of Drachma peering over the side.

"I can't leave you three alone, can I?" he yelled, throwing the rope ladder down to them, "Your lucky my search for Rhaknam lead me here, you could've be roasted by that...that thing."

"It's the captain!" Aika cried joyfully, jumping in the air.

Vyse smiled contently as he pulled Fina up onto her dainty feet. He gave her a quick smile and repeated the advice Fina had given Belleza;

"Faith, Manages."

(…)

"Hey captain, you came back just in time!" Aika said happily, slapping the old captain on his artificial arm.

"I didn't come back for you," The captain grunted, whirling on the three of them, "Like I said, I came her following that blasted Arcwhale!"

Aika laughed, "Hey Fina, get a load of the Captain. I wonder how long he'll continue pretending that he doesn't care about us?"  
Fina giggled. "Aika, You really shouldn't tease him like that."  
"Who's acting?" Drachma demanded, thumping his arm on the console. "I just wanna capture Rhaknam! Rotten little brats, always gettin' me into trouble."  
"Calm down, calm down, Captain," Vyse smiled at the old man. "We're really grateful that you saved us. But we've really got to find a way of bringing down the Gigas."

Drachma looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well…We can treat this as a test run for when I finally find Rhaknam. I need to test the Harpoon cannon on something larger than a Valuan battleship anyway."

Vyse nodded, taking up the wheel.

Drachma motioned to Aika to follow him and pointed Fina towards the torpedo tubes.

Recumen's heads gazed about absently, as it followed the oval shape of Belleza's ship, It's eyes glowing bright gold.

"I guess sneaking up on this thing is a no then," Vyse said with a laugh towards Fina, Who smiled wearily.

"I do not think this is a good idea Vyse," she said quietly, "Gigas are supposed to be unstoppable, Only their master, or other Gigas can stop a Gigas."

Vyse blinked and looked back at Fina in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me this befo…"

"HARD TO PORT BOY!"

Vyse was suddenly jolted back into reality and threw the wheel to the left, just missing the Red Ray by inches.

"KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BATTLE BOY!!" Drachma yelled at him angrily as he let off a volley of cannonballs with Aika, each finding there're mark on one of Recumen's necks, not even scratching it's red skin.

"Why didn't you tell us about this before?" Vyse asked her as he threw the ship to a complete stop again just missing the Red Ray.

"I didn't think it would matter," Fina said bashfully, loading in a torpedo and firing it off into Upper Sky, "Belleza is determined to keep the Crystal and the Gigas. I didn't see the point.

"But that's just it!" Vyse cried as he pulled the Little Jack into a steep dive, causing Drachma to swear up a storm larger than any that overhung Valua, " If we attack Belleza, we can force her to back down and call of the Gigas," Fina gasped and ran over to Vyse, staring out of the window at the gigantic form of the Gigas as they flew past.

"Do you think it will work?" she asked.

"I don't know," Vyse admitted, "But We'll probably last a great deal longer against her than against Recumen.

Go down and tell Drachma and Aika our plan, I'll keep trying to avoid those damn attacks of it's!"

Fina nodded and ran down the stairs as fast as she could.

Vyse gritted his teeth as Recumen now tried to header the Little Jack with it's heads as the ship got to close.

Fed up with the Gigas Vyse quickly veered away from Recumen as it tried to stomp on the small vessel.

Suddenly a huge explosion rocked the Little Jack, sending the whole right side of the ship flying off into the desert.

One minute Vyse could see the wall, the next the cabin suddenly erupted into flame as the wall was obliterated.

Vyse shaded his face as shards of glass flew off the front window in all directions.

As the debris cleared he could make out the limp form of Drachma, leaning heavily on one of the remaining cannons, Aika weakly trying to wake him, and Fina was...

The colour suddenly left Vyse's face as he realised he couldn't see Fina. What if she was hurt! Or worse, what if she was dead?

Vyse looked out of the hole in anguish, only to see Belleza's Flagship in the distance, two of her cannons, smoking slightly with red moondust.

Vyse remembered something he had read in Valua, about a new type of weapon called a magic cannon, a cannon that could fire balls of offensive magic at an enemy.

Judging from the moon dust, he could tell that Pyri had been cast.

Vyse could feel his hands shaking slightly, his mind numbed with anger.

The Little Jack was a mess, barely able to keep up in the air, food and other supplies falling out of the gaping hole her side.

Drachma was finally stirring slightly, Aika still looking weak from the impact, and Fina…he didn't know if she was still alive.

He felt like totally breaking down at the thought of Fina, lying dead in hold, or having fallen out of the ship, lying dead on the baking hot sands.

With an anguished cry Vyse threw the tattered remains of the Little Jack at full speed towards Belleza's ship, ramming speed.

The Lynx came to a full stop, secondary cannons rolled out to intercept the Little Jack.

The small ship rocked as her bow was almost blown to pieces by the immense cannons.

Vyse smiled as seconds before he hit the pink ship, he veered upwards, sending the Little Jack high into the air.

The engines screamed in pain as Vyse spun the ship hard to port, aiming the Harpoon cannon towards the Lynx.

"for Fina," he whispered, and threw the lever for the Harpoon cannon.

The spear on the front of the ship, began to revolve clockwise, getting faster and faster, the ship putting what was left of it's power into the cannon.

When it was finally at top power, the spear shot out in a blast of hot steam, throwing the Little Jack higher into the air.

Belleza's ship still hadn't moved from it's position, which would be it's downfall.

The Harpoon Cannon pierced the Lynx like a knife through butter, sending it crashing to the ground in a shower of scrap metal.

As the ship hit the ground it collapsed into two pieces, it's contents spilling out over the golden sands.

With a sigh Vyse flicked on the radio on the console.

"Attention Belleza," he said quietly as he retracted the Harpoon cannon and brought what was left of the Little Jack to a hover over the Lynx, "If you do not surrender the Moon Crystal and call off the Gigas, I will open fire, please respond."

There was silence.

"Belleza, if I open fire, then innocent lives will be lost. I don't want to fire, but if you do not surrender I will."

More silence.

"You said that you wanted no more war so no other families had to suffer the way you did. Well right now Aika's trying to wake a friend of mine, and she doesn't look to good herself. My friend Drachma is out cold, and Fina…Well for all I know she could be dead from when you took out half the ship. I'm suffering Belleza, my friends are hurt and their blood is on your hands. I don't want to hurt you, or your crew, but if you do not surrender, I will open fire."

More silence, then…

"Attention Vyse…We…We surrender. I have ordered Recumen to stand down, I repeat…We surrender."

Vyse sighed as he watched the Red Gigas bury itself into the ground with surprising urgency.

"Thank you Belleza," he sighed, I shall land and retrieve the crystal, Little Jack out."

"I'll land the ship boy," said a gruff voice behind him.

Vyse turned around to see Drachma standing there, being held up by Aika.

"Captain?"

"Damnit boy, I said I'll land her, you've gone through enough today already. Aika can help."

"What about Fina?" Vyse asked hopefully, "is she alright?"

Drachma and Aika exchanged glances of worry.

"I'm sorry Vyse," Aika said, "There was a lot of debris left over from the blast…we didn't see her."

"No…"

Aika hung her head and Drachma stood heavily.

"I'm sorry boy," he said quietly.

The colour completely drained from Vyse's face.

"No…"

He quickly ran past his two friends down into the hold.

As they had said it was a mess. The gaping hole in the Little Jack's side continued to blow sand in and sweep debris out, however there was still a lot of it.

"Fina? Fina! Where are you?" He shouted desperately, starting to clear away rubbish, "Please answer me! Fina! FINA!"

All of a sudden he heard a very faint squeak, coming from under a large pile of collapsed timbers.

Without hesitation Vyse quickly began tearing the great hunks of wood away, throwing them out of the hole as he did so.

Finally he found her at the bottom of the pile, Cupil squeaking weakly beside her in a small blob on the floor.

She lay there unconscious, blood dribbling down her head and staining her white dress.

Vyse knelt down beside her hesitantly, looking at her helplessly.

"Fina?" he asked quietly, shaking her slightly, "Fina…are you ok?"

She remained still, her skin cold, eyes closed.

Vyse fought to hold back his tears as he gathered her up into his arms.

"Don't leave me Fina…" he whispered desperately, "Please don't leave me…God help me…don't go…not yet…we have this quest to fulfil…I can't do it alone…not without you…we need you…I need you."

Vyse suddenly realised that he had begun to develop feelings for the mysterious Silvite girl, and it had taken her to deaths door for him to realise it.

He gazed at her pale face, her delicate lips, her fair hair, and felt tears roll down his cheeks and fall to the dusty floor.

He closed his eyes and looked away.

"What have I done…" he whispered, "…I was too reckless I…I've hurt her…I've killed her…it's my fault…it's my fault."

He knelt there, her body held close, sobbing uncontrollably.

For how long he sat there he didn't know, but suddenly he was greeted by a new sensation. A sensation that made his heart suddenly beat faster with hope. He felt the cool pressure of a hand on the side of his face, followed by the soft caress of a kiss on his opposite cheek.

He opened his eyes in surprise, in time to see Fina lay back down in his arms, smiling weakly.

He was a loss for words as he stared into her aquatic green eyes locked with his hazel ones.

"It's not your fault Vyse," she murmured quietly, "If anything it is my fault for bringing you along on this quest in the first place."

Vyse shook his head.

"No it is my fault, I was up there flying like a complete nutcase," he replied, feeling ashamed, "I managed to blow off the entire starboard side of the ship. But what's worse…I could have lost you, Fina. And I couldn't live with myself if you died because of me."

While it was true that he had been slightly attracted to Belleza, it had only been because she had been through seductive looks and not to mention the attention she had given him, something most of the sailors in the tavern would have given their right arms for. With Fina, it was different. It was far beyond her physical gentle beauty. He enjoyed her very presence, her personality and demeanour.  
"Vyse...don't get upset over me," Fina pleaded as he dabbed away her the blood from her forehead with the corner of his scarf, before pulling a green moonstone from his pocket and began to heal her, "I am not worth your pity. I have pulled you into something that you know nothing about. This is my fault…and my fault alone."

Vyse looked down at her, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a small smile.

"We didn't have to come you know…" he said quietly, "We could have just rescued you from Valua, packed you onto the Dannel Strait or one of our other skiffs, given you enough supplies to get to Sailors Island, and never see you again. The thing is…we didn't. we agreed to come with you, to help you on your quest. We agreed to fight Valua to the end, to insure they would not get the Moon crystals. And I promised you…that I would not let anyone hurt you…and despite this minor setback, I still stand by that promise."

She smiled up at him shyly, making his stomach feel like flutterflies were dancing around it again.

She reached up and held his hand gently to her chest.

"I know you will prevail Vyse," she said quietly.

A sudden jolt brought them into reality as the wreak of the Little Jack landed with a thud.

"Time for negotiations," he said with a smile, "Can you stand?"

"I think so…no," she said as she attempted to stand, only to find her legs were still wobbly and she promptly fell back into Vyse's arms.

"Well, I would like you to be at the negotiations," he said, half to himself, "we don't have anything that could help you…I know!"

He quickly slid his arms underneath Fina, taking her slightly by surprise, but a pleasant surprise.

She settled down in his arms, her head resting on his chest once more as they headed through the hole in the side to negotiate with Belleza.


	16. To Greener Lands

Hi! Me back! Didja miss me?  
Yes, I'm finally updating this fic after a long absense, however, I have to admit, it's under extreme pressure.

You see, Pegasus Knight, the Athur who inspired me to write this, and indeed to write in general, has recently been updating Eternal Arcadia again, but before that happened, he/she (Is he a guy or a girl? I don't know, his/her pennames kinda ambiguous, although his/her blog name sounds femminine. I dunno. Knight, if you're reading, no offence, kay?) went back and looked over all chapters up to the point he/she stopped and reworked parts.

And in short, looking over _my_ work, this fic need serious overhall. I've been working on this thing for at least three years, and my writing styles changed somewhat since I started.

So here's the deal ladies and gents. For the moment, I'm going to do what I did before and only upload once a month. At some point however, all chapters are suddenly going to dissappear, and suddenly all those with story alerts are going to get a lot of emails, if you get my drift.

So yeah, that's my plan. Hope I didn't confuse you too much.

Enjoy!

**

* * *

**

**TO GREENER LANDS**

Belleza was looking quite dishevelled when she came out to meet them. Her hair was clinging to her head, her face was grimy as though she had been doing hard labour. She looked horrified when she saw Vyse carrying Fina.

"Oh Fina, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't mean to take off half the ship…I was just trying to stop you from attacking the Gigas! I'm sorry."

Vyse was a little taken aback by her pity.

"you seem very concerned about someone whose your enemy," he said, raising an eyebrow as Aika and Drachma walked up beside him.

Belleza gave him a sideways smile before looking down abashed.

"I feel awful for betraying you three," she said quietly, her feet sifting through the sand, "I've come to like you three, something I did not expect when I took up this job. I earned your trust…and then I broke it. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry for all I have done."

"Never thought I'd see the day a Valuan Admiral apologizing for doing her job," Drachma muttered.

Vyse smiled at Drachma before stating his demands.

"If you're so sorry Belleza, then I suggest you follow my demands to the letter;

First off, I want you to give Fina back the Red Moon Crystal,"

"I got it right here," Belleza said with a smile, producing the powerful crystal from her pocket and giving it to Fina.

Fina smiled graciously, before putting it into the pouch at her belt.

"Secondly," Vyse continued after the deed was done, "The Little Jack is greatly in need of repair. Seeing that the Lynx won't be flying in it's condition, I want you and your men to help repair it, using parts of the Lynx."

"Also," Drachma's voice cut in, "You have some fine looking weaponry and no doubt a good engine, We'll be taking those as well,"

Belleza's eyes widened.

"B…but if you take our engine…how will I get home?"

Aika looked at her smugly.

"You do what everyone does when they don't have transport…they walk!" She grinned at Belleza's shocked face, "You trick us…we take you engine…I think we're even now. What's that saying Nasreans have, 'Only those who have walked through the desert truly know it's size?' "

"You want me to…walk?" Belleza sighed and threw her arms up in defeat, "Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice."  
Vyse smiled sarcastically.

"No you don't. But with the tough armour plating of you ship, I'm sure we can survive more against other battleships, and with your engine, we could probably power our way across South ocean."

Belleza sighed again and smiled, "Alright handsome, you win, my men will begin refitting your ship soon, we had a few wounded from your Harpoon Cannon, but nothing serious."

Over the next week, Belleza's crew worked frantically to reinforce what was left of the Little Jack with the Lynx's armour, and also rebuilding the right side, giving the fishing vessel an odd look of a mixture of green and pink.

"I'll have it repainted and lined with wood when we get back to Maramba," Drachma muttered, looking at his ship with a disgruntled look, "Bah, I hate pink."

The engine was actually smaller than the Little Jacks original one, for the simple reason it was more fuel efficient. The cannons were actually forced to be hacked down to a smaller size so that the pink secondary cannons could be fitted.

By the end of it all the Little Jack looked extremely mixed up, with her right side a pale pink, abruptly turning to a dark murky green along the left and front.

When repairs were finally complete, Belleza sighed and smiled happily.

"I'm glad we could help you Vyse," she said with smile, "I know it's what we deserve for betraying you."

Vyse smiled and rested a hand gently on her shoulder.

"You have no idea how much you've helped us with these upgrades. I think you've earned my forgiveness,"

"and mine also," said Fina coming up beside him

"Don't forget me." Pipped up Aika with a smile.

Belleza smiled gratefully at the three of them.

After a while Vyse turned back to Fina.

"So Fina, where too next?"

"Well, seeing that Valua will still be angry at us I believe we should head out to the continent under the green moon; Ixa'taka."

"Ixa'watcha?" Asked Aika, "you mean to tell me there's a continent under the Green moon?"

Fina nodded but Belleza shook her head,

"I'm sorry Vyse, but are forces have been there for quite a while now, they've been searching for a place called…Rixis."

Fina gasped, "That's the capital of the Old World Green Civilisation."

"Well the sooner we get to Maramba and paint the Little Jack, The sooner we can head for Ixa'taka," grunted Drachma before heading back to the ship.

Aika sighed before nodding to Belleza and running off after him.

Just as Vyse and Fina were about to go, the admiral called out to him.

"Vyse, could I talk to you for a moment…in private?"

Vyse blinked at her in surprise.

"Sure," he said with a smile.

Fina hesitated unsure of what she should do.

"Nothing bad's gonna happen, she just wants a quick word before we go, I'll be back in a few minutes." he said with a reassuring smile.

She smiled back, before bowing towards Belleza and walking off to the Pink and green ship in the distance.

He turned to Belleza, only to find her gazing fondly at him.

"Can you get home alright?" Vyse asked before she could say anything

Belleza shrugged, "Ah, Admiral Mackenzie owes me a favour, I'm sure I can persuade him to send me some help, but that's not why I wanted to talk to you," Her face suddenly turned solemn, "You do know what your getting yourself into, messing with Valuan Armada?"

He chuckled slightly.

"Honestly…no. Truthfully…no. I know a bit about the Admirals, some of which I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley,"

"Mm, Deloco," Belleza mused, "and sometimes Vigoro,"

They laughed aloud.

She smiled down at him, with a look of affection in her eyes.

"I want you to have something," she said, and pressed a small piece of fabric into his hand.

It was a small slim length of fabric, the emblem of the Blue rouges embodied in the centre.

"What's this?" he asked.

"You struck a chord with some of my men on the Lynx, with your little speech about Lower City Valuans and the blood on my hands and so on," she said with a small smile, "It was their idea, and I actually supported it. That is a captain's stripe. Altered slightly with the Blue rouges sign instead of the Emblem of the Valuan Armada. We figured you'd prefer that over a Valuan one."

"Why…"

She stopped him with a finger over his lips.

"We know you're not even a captain yet, it's for when you do get command of your own ship. You deserve it, Vyse. You have been through a lot for someone of your age, but you've gotten through ok." She tapped a finger lightly on his chest, "I lost to you not because I underestimated your experience...but because you never give up. And now I find myself regretting that you aren't a few years older, or I was a few years younger."  
Vyse blinked in surprise and blushed. "I don't think you can say that...we're enemies.…"  
Belleza smiled and held up a finger to contradict him, "By definition only. But in my heart, I will always see you three as my friends, even if you don't. I will not forget the time we spent together, however brief. You may be rash and impulsive Vyse, but...I hope you survive long enough for us to meet again."  
He looked off into the distance before calling after her as she walked away, "Hey Belleza!"

She stopped, not turning around  
"You can still take up my offer you know," he said quietly, "You can still join us. Do you really want to be fighting to the end like this? Do you really want to fight a war to end a war?"  
Belleza smiled again, but this time it was sad. "Your words won't stop me this time Vyse. I know it's a irony, but I can't join you. For the simple reason I have to fight for those precious few that I love who are still in my life. This is the path I have chosen, and I can't turn back, no matter what. If I turned my back on Valua now, and became an air pirate...I would lose all hope of living with the man I truly love. You know that feeling, don't you? I've seen the way you look at Fina, the way you keep forgetting to let go of her hand every time you help her up."  
Vyse blushed hard.  
"hit that one on the head, huh?" Belleza turned back to him, before leaning forward, and pressing her lips to his forehead. "Don't die, Vyse. That's an order."

Just before she entered the wreckage of the Lynx, she turned around once more and blew him a small kiss.

"See you around, Handsome."

* * *

"South Ocean," Drachma grunted, "The worst place to fly…ever."

Before them lay South Ocean, an immense expanse of sky, filled with hurricane's and tornado's. it had seemed like years ago since they had left Maramba, the Little Jack repainted and lined with wood on the out side, to make it look more normal as Drachma put it.

"I don't know how we're going to get through this," Aika said doubtfully, "Nobodies ever gotten through South Ocean and lived to tell the tale. The last person to try was Captain Henry Centine, he hasn't been heard from since."

"I knew old Centine the Tinker," agreed Drachma, "Nicest man I ever met. Adopted orphans left, right and centre. He had a big heart."

"Any idea's of how to get through Captain?" Vyse asked.

"Well, if we try and stop at all through this voyage, we'll probably just be blown backwards, losing time and wasting fuel. I suggest that we each take it in turns to fly it all the way through. Me and Vyse will work through the day, and Fina and Aika can fly through the night."

"A…a…all of us?" Fina asked looking a little scared at Vyse.

He smiled at her with reassurance and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not that hard," he said, "You just keep the ship going straight and steady, and we'll get there eventually."

"Alright…I'll try…for you Vyse," she said quietly, "for all of us," she added hastily as Aika suddenly coughed sharply.

* * *

Vyse woke once more to the howling of the winds outside, the engine purring quietly to itself as it pushed the Little Jack onward to Ixa'taka at a snails pace.

"_My shift already_?" he thought blankly to himself, "_It feels like only a few minutes ago I was sent to bed by Aika_!"

He got out of his hammock beside the engine and stretched. They had now been sailing through South Ocean for five weeks, a good part of the First Summer Lunar Cycle, pushing slowly against the wind. Every time he took the wheel it felt like an Arcwhale pushing them back.

With a sigh Vyse slowly put on his shirt and boots, buckling his tunic over it with his double-holed belt. He tied his scarf around his neck, leaving his new cutlasses and grappler behind before heading to the bridge.

He sighed mentally to himself as he looked out the back window, watching the storms rumble and thunder as they went past, the sky so dark they could easily be back in Valua.

Fina stood at the helm, her hands shaking slightly from the buffeting winds.

"Hey Fina, how you holding up?"

Fina looked back quickly before turning back to the wheel.

"It is not as easy as you make out Vyse," she said quietly with a smile.

"No one said it was going to be easy," he replied, sidling up next to her to look out at the immense tornados as they roared past, "South Ocean isn't exactly the best place to start piloting a vessel of this size for the first time."

"I know, Cupil has been helping me slightly," She indicated to a small silver band around the shaft that connected the wheel to the console, "He has been holding the wheel firmly, but it feels like the winds are getting stronger the farther we sail into South Ocean."

She looked down, slightly sad.

"I…I think Cupil is getting tired though," she said quietly, a half protest of a squeak from the silver band backing up the statement, "I think he should get some rest."

Almost immediately the silver band popped and returned to the silver ball that Cupil enjoyed before drifting off to a corner and plopped into a puddle.

"it's the end of your shift anyway," Vyse said with a half smile.

"Oh, it's just…" Fina looked down, he face going slightly red, "Could…Could you help me pilot the Little Jack…just for a little while longer?"

Vyse looked a little surprised, if not a little puzzled.

"I feel very lonely up here. Aika is always so tired she just nods and heads down to bed. By the time you get here I'm to tired to talk anyway. I could just use some company for a while."

Vyse smiled before standing just behind her and placing his hands gently over hers on the wheel.

Almost immediately the wheel seemed to stabilise under their combined grips, the ache in Fina's arms lessening slightly as she sighed happily, leaning her head back slightly on his shoulder.

"Thank you Vyse, I feel much happier now."

"No problem,"

They stood for a long time, constantly piloting the Little Jack forward towards Ixa'taka.

Vyse smiled slightly as he felt the soft caress of her hair against his cheek. For how long they stood there he didn't know but suddenly the tornados began to thin and something green splat against the window, shocking the two of them back into reality.

"Hey a leaf!" Vyse said with surprise.

"That means that we're close to land," Fina said joyfully, "that means we're close to Ixa'taka!"

Sure enough, after a few more hours a large island, filled with trees of rich green, came into view.

By now the tornados had completely disappeared, the sky rift they had been following the only storm in sight.

"I think we should wake everyone," Vyse said with a smile as he saw the land.

"You do it Vyse, I think I can fly the ship towards it."

Vyse nodded before reluctantly letting go of her hands and heading down to the hold.

"Vyse,"

He turned around and looked at her.

She smiled at him thankfully.

"Thank you for keeping me company,"

He smiled and nodded before running down the stairs to the hold.

As quickly as he could he knocked rapidly on the Captains door.

"Captain? Captain? Captain!"

All of a sudden there was an audible cry and a thud that shook the floor beneath his boots.

The door opened and Vyse found himself looking at the piecing eye of Drachma glaring at him.

"What do ya want boy? Is it my shift already?"

"No, it's just we've seen land and we thought…"

"We?"

"Um…Fina was up with me, she felt a bit lonely you see,"

"I see," Drachma didn't look impressed, "Well, go wake Aika and I'll meet you on the bridge,"

And with that he slammed the door in his face.

Vyse sighed and headed over to Aika and Fina's room to see if he could rouse her from what seemed like eternal slumber.

He found her asleep, her legs entwined in her bed cover.

He didn't bother trying to be quiet and shook her gently.

"Aika? Aika. Hey Aika, wake up!"

She groaned and turned over in her sleep.

"No I won't give it back…" she murmured.

Vyse sighed and rolled his eyes to the ceiling, before aiming a hard kick at her bed.

"Ow! Whazzat?" Aika suddenly rolled over, her flame orange hair falling around her face. As she brushed it out of her face she noticed him standing over him, "Vyse?"

"Land ho!" Vyse replied with a smile, "Time to get up and see the new land!

Aika looked at him crossly threw a pillow up at him before turning over again.

"Can't you just wake me when we land?" she asked irritably.

Vyse sighed and put his arms around her, dragging her out of her bed.

"Come on Aika, we're sailing into the unknown here, as least come and see it before we land, it looks nice."

Aika said nothing, she had decided it was nicer to cuddle up against him, slowly dozing off again.

"Aika…" he sighed and sat there for a moment, before a sudden jolt brought him back into focus.

Aika woke up again, in time for a second jolt.

In his haste Vyse quickly put Aika down and ran out to the engine. It was spluttering and dying, as one by one the moonstones in the processing chamber exploded as the engine tried to squeeze the last of the power out of them.

As quickly as he could he ran up to the bridge to find Drachma wrestling with the wheel and Fina gripping the edge of the console with fear.

"What's going on?" he shouted over the clanking of the engine below.

"It's that damn voyage across South Ocean that's what!" Drachma roared as he pulled the Little Jack into a steep climb, "It's completely gobbled up our fuel supply!"

"Vyse, I'm so sorry," Fina gasped as he climbed up beside her, holding onto the console for support, "I did not think it would take this long to get through South Ocean, I am sorry."

Suddenly the Little Jack's engines coughed spluttered and died, throwing the ship into a dive.

"Hold on! We're going down!" Drachma roared.

Almost immediately Fina let go of the Console and clung to Vyse for dear life.

Vyse looked on grimly as he grasped the console with one hand and held her with his other around her tiny waist.

The Little Jack plummeted towards a small Island hovering over the main continent.

The ship plummeted faster and faster, to almost break neck speed. Moments before they hit Fina couldn't look anymore and buried her face in Vyse's tunic.

There was a horrible sound of splintering wood on rock as the Little Jack crashed into a cliff, before ploughing into the jungles, trees crunched and whipped around them as sheer momentum seemed to push the tiny ship up the mount. Suddenly the ship was air-born again as it flew over a clearing before smashing over the other side and sliding down a steep hill, more trees reduced to firewood, decreasing their speed as the endge of the island came ever closer, the dark abyss of Deep Sky below waiting to swallow them up. Finally, with a strangled groan, the Little Jack ground to a halt as the consoles gave up their last spark, several logs they'd picked up on their journey falling down into the dark gulf a few metres ahead of them.

Drachma leaned heavily on the wheel out of relief. Vyse sighed and breathed easily.

"Are you ok?" he asked Fina as she raised her head slightly.

"I think so…" she stammered, her heart beat still quite fast.

She slowly lent her head back on his shoulder, feeling comfort from his embrace. She did not know her feelings for him, or his feelings for her. For all she knew he still considered her a friend and nothing more, but she felt comfort and peace amidst chaos and disorder.

Vyse closed his eyes and rested his chin on top of her head.

With every time they touched, he felt their bond grow stronger. He didn't know what her feelings for him were, but right now, he didn't care.

A sudden coughing caught their attention and they glanced over at the staircase to see Aika climb up them, looking a bit miffed.

"Cap'n," she half shouted, storming over to Drachma, "If you _ever _do that again, without me knowing about it, I'm going to KILL YOU!!!"

Drachma blinked at her before muttering a sulky "sorry,"

Fina giggled with pleasure at the two of them.

"Where I come from Aika, that outburst would have been seen as childish," she said with a small smirk.

Aika blinked and was about to reply before suddenly a small pebble hit the side porthole.

Vyse glanced sideways at Fina before going over and opening the porthole.

Out of nowhere another pebble flew through the porthole and hit Vyse between the eyes.

"Ow!"

"Opps, Sorry about that!" came a distinctly heavy Mid-Ocean accented voice.

"How come every time I open a window I get a pebble between my eyes?" Vyse groaned.

"Maybe you should stop opening windows when people chuck rocks at them," grunted Drachma, his moustache quirking slightly.

Vyse scowled at him before going back to the window.

He raised an eyebrow at what he saw;

They had landed next to the strangest looking ship he had ever seen. It was made completely from scrap metal, driven by two paddles on either side. Or, at least, it had been, before colliding with the slope and nearly snapping itself in half. Standing on the upper deck stood a boy who looked no older than he did, dressed rather raggedly. Someone who looked like his mother was staring in surprise, looking like she was hanging the washing out to dry.

Clinging to the side of the boat were three children gawking at them, apparently having leapt out of the way of the way of the Little Jack as it made it's landing.

The strangest thing about the family was they weren't dressed unusually, they were dressed like Air pirates.

"You sure we're in Ixa'taka?" asked Vyse, "They look pretty normal to me."

"Ahoy!" said the young man, "Welcome to Horteka!"

"No, we're defiantly in Ixa'taka," Aika said with a grin, "unless you know of anywhere near Mid-Ocean with that name?"

Vyse grinned back and called back out of the window.

"Give us a minute and we'll be down soon."

The boy hesitated, before nodding.

"as you wish, but I would advise that you bring your weapons. The natives will be here soon,"

Vyse glanced back and Fina and mouthed;

"natives?"


	17. Ixa'Taka Days

sigh. My heart really doesn't seem to be in my writing lately. I feel like I have twelve different stories to do, all unfinished, this one included. I just can't seem to get round to writing (or re-writing in this case), and whenever I start something, all my ideas for plots have huge gaps in between them, and I just can't figure how to join them up.  
It's depressing, but I want to get this fic finished, but lately, I just find myself drawn to other games like Halo and Oblivion, and I feel like writing about Gundams and other stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I will finish this fic one day, and I'll continue to upload chapters, but be warned that due to my pretty hectic schedule, updates may not be every month as I originally said.

Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time with my problems. Enjoy this chapter.

Dearing

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* * *

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**CHAPTER 16**

**IXA'TAKAN DAYS**

"My name is Hans Centine," the boy said holding out his hand to Vyse, "This is my Dad's ship, the Iron Clad,"

This is my mother Laura, and my two brothers by adoption, James and Patrick, and the latest addition to our family, Blue Feather, an orphan from around these parts."

"Your Centine's kid?" asked Drachma, "Henry Centine's kid?"

"That would be me," Hans said with a smile, "You know dad?"

"I met him once," Drachma said gruffly.

"My name is Vyse Dyne, of the Blue Storm. This is my best friends Aika Nautili and Fina Silvairian, and our captain, Drachma."

"George Drachma right?" Hans asked, shaking the Captain by his good hand, "Yes I remember you…my dad said you were stern, but fair. Looking for an Arcwhale if I remember correctly."

Drachma said nothing for a while, before grunting and heading back to the ship.

"Did I say something wrong?" Hans asked with worried look.

"He's…um…well a bit touchy when it comes to his hunt for Rhaknam," Vyse said biting his lip, "Don't know why but…"

He was suddenly cut short as an arrow suddenly whizzed through the air, landing just in front of his feet.

Quickly Vyse snapped into a defensive stance, drawing his larger cutlass and stepping in front of the two girls.

From out of the tunnel in the side of the cliff opposite the Little Jack came over a dozen of primitive looking men.

Each was spartanly dressed, with only a thin piece of loincloth covering their bodies. Each was wearing a different coloured mask, each beautifully decorated with multicoloured beads entwined in their wild looking hair, which ranged from green to blue to purple.

Their skin was deeply tanned, far more than any one Vyse had ever seen. Each one was extremely muscular, their arms and upper torsos covered in strange tattoos. Each one carried a rather lethal looking spear, some had bows and quivers full of arrows slung on their backs.

A few of them froze when they saw Vyse, each emitting a low growl like animals. One of the men, a man who wore a cloak of blue bird feathers and a slightly smaller mask that revealed his mouth, began to speak a very distinct and complex language, before pointing his spear at Vyse and spitting on the ground.

"He says that you are one of the men of the east," Fina whispered in his ear, "and you have taken most of the men from the village, and you must pay for it with your life."

Vyse sighed, "Great, I just got here and already I'm being threatened. Tell them I'm not one of the men of the east. Tell them who we our and why we're here."

Fina nodded and stood out from behind him and prattled something out in the same language.

The natives froze when they saw her, half scared half in awe.

They suddenly dropped to their knees and bowed to the three of them.

"QUEYTA!" they cheered.

Fina blinked in surprise.

"Q…Queyta?" she asked.

The leader shuffled forward towards Vyse and started to kiss the ground in front of him, uttering the strange language between kisses.

"He says he wishes for a thousands pardons from you, he did not realise you were the warrior who protects Queyta." translated Fina, who smiled shyly at the thought.

"Who's Queyta?" he asked.

"I am not sure," Fina replied and asked one of the other men.

The man refused to remove his face from the ground, muttered something, before muttering Queyta over and again.

Fina stood up, her face more pale than usual.

"Queyta is…is their Goddess!"

"Well that was unexpected," Aika said with a smirk.

"It also could be dangerous," Hans pointed out, "If they find out you are not who you say you are they could turn violent."

"That's not good," muttered Vyse.

The man who had kissed his feet now turned to Fina and got up on one knee, addressing her quite formally.

"He says his name is Tika Tika," she said slightly worried, "He wants to take us to see the village elder and the village priests"

"You go with her Vyse," Aika said with a smile, "Me and the Cap'n will check over the Little Jack while you go and talk to this Elder guy,"

Vyse nodded. "Tell him to lead on," he told Fina.

She nodded and the two of them set off.

The Horteka village was the most amazing place Vyse had ever seen.

The entire Village seemed to be held up on stilts above a large basin of water, huge trees reaching up to the sky out of it. The leaves high above the village dappled the light, casting wondrous shadows on the colourful huts slung between the trees.

The houses were a collection of thatched huts with fern leafs covering the roofs and walls with doorways slung with brightly-coloured curtains. A whole series of wooden bridges and catwalks wound their way around the village, scaling up the trees, down to the water, and between each hut.

"I've never seen anything like this," he whispered to Fina as he looked around in awe.

"Yes it's…it's very pretty," Fina said a little half heartedly, keeping her vision on the thin walkway in front of them.

Sensing her discomfort Vyse glanced at her with worry.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"This is the matter," she said desperately throwing her arm around her to emphasize it. All around them people had come out of their huts and just gawked at Fina. Whenever she turned to look at them they either quickly disappeared back into the hut or they would fall to their knees, their noses pressed to the wooden walkway if they had been caught out in the open.

"You have no idea how uncomfortable they make me feel when I see them," she said, staring into Vyse's hazel eyes unhappily, "I've tried and tried to tell them to stop. I even tried to tell them our real names, but they won't listen, they keep saying it is some kind of test to prove their loyalty to me. I hate every minute of it! I don't know what to do, I feel like I'm lying to them, I…"

She stopped suddenly as Vyse slipped a hand into hers.

She squeezed it slightly as if getting comfort.

"You can't help it if they won't listen. You've told them the truth, if they don't listen, they don't listen. I'm not to comfortable with it myself. This is something Upper City Valua might like, not me, and not you obviously."

She smiled at him, quietly knowing he was right.

She leaned against his arm her head resting on his shoulder, hand still clasped in his.

Tika Tika said nothing, he merely raised an eyebrow at the two of them, thinking quietly.

Eventually the trio arrived at a much more decorated hut, separated from the rest by a long walkway to a small man made island in the centre of the largest tree.

The hut was decorated with many different colored masks.

"The High Elder will see you in here," Fina translated as Tika Tika held the curtain open for her.

"I think it would be better if you wait out here," she said quietly, "If they think I'm Queyta then the Elder will probably want to see me alone."

Vyse nodded understandingly, before sitting on the side of the walkway, his feet dangling over the edge.

She smiled at him before turning towards the hut.

"Are you always so…physical…with your servants and the warriors who serve you?" Tika Tika asked in his own tongue as she entered

Fina stopped and blushed slightly.

"Vyse is my friend as well as my protector," she said simply, "He is one of my closest friends."

"I am not wishing to dishonour you O mighty Queyta,"

Tika Tika said worriedly, "It is just…as you know…only those who are married our allowed to be as physical with each other. Our you married to this…Vyse?"

"No of course not!" she blurted, Flushing hard at the thought, "We're just good friends. Where I come from, being close to one another increases friendship."

And before The Ixa'taken could respond she quickly entered the hut.

The High Elder sat in a large chair, which greatly dwarfed his small shriveled appearance.

He wore very little, save a long piece of cloth tied around his waist.

He had a long, purple beard which he had tucked into his belt.

His smile was kindly, but his eyes seemed distant for some reason. Fina suddenly realized that he was blind.

"Greetings Elder," she said, bowing low out of habit, "I trust you are in good health?"

The Elder smiled and stood up. Bowing hesitantly, leaning heavily on his chair.

"Almighty Queyta," he said as he sat down again, "As the prophecies foretell, you have once again returned to the blessed lands of Ixa'taka in our time of greatest need.

I trust you know of our plight?"

"I do," Fina said, biting her lip, "But I request that you tell me of your sad tale from your point of view. Please tell me what you have heard."

The Elder frowned, but continued anyway.

"As you wish Enlightened One. Twenty years ago the Men of the East first arrived here. We celebrated. We believed that you had sent them. We through them a grand feast in their honour. Even King Tenochtitlan, our grand leader, came to meet them.

They called themselves the 'Great and Glorious Valuan Empire.' At first we thought this strange, and indeed even stranger when they asked about some kind of mystic rock called a Moonstone. Assuming they were talking about our precious glow rocks, we took them to Scared Mountain. That's when things began to go very wrong."

The Elder bowed his head in sorrow before continuing.

"The Men from the East suddenly began to get violent. They began to invade Horteka and other neighboring villages for men to work in the mines they had constructed. I have heard they work them tirelessly, especially recently of late. They have recently begun searching for something they call the Green Moon Crystal. I believe we call it the sacred green stone."

Fina gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"You must stop these wrong doers Queyta." the Elder said quietly, "But first, I suggest you talk to King Tenochtitlan. He lives in exile, on a floating island between two pinnacles. There is a single large tree there…the last of it's kind. In it you will find a hut. But pray, make haste my Goddess, for soon the fire breathing ship shall return to destroy the forests once more in search if Rixis, the old capital of our once great civilisation."

Fina nodded.

"Thank you Elder. I promise you that Val…the Men of the East will be forced out of your lands,"

The Elder smiled again and reached blindly for her hand, as if to be blessed by it.

"Go well Queyta, I know you will succeed."

Fina took his hand before heading out of the doorway, held open by Tika Tika.

"I didn't even think the Valuans would sink to the level of slavery," Vyse muttered angrily when she retold the story.

"But it's like you said to Belleza," Fina said quietly, taking his hand once more, "You said that if Valua ruled the world, they would treat everyone like Lower City Citizens. This just proves what you said is true."

He smiled at her, squeezing her hand slightly.

At that moment Tika Tika came over and started jabbering at Fina in his language. Fina then responded, sharply at first before continuing in a much more quieter tone.

At last Tika Tika bowed to her and led the two of them to a hut high above any of the others. Inside the hut was elaborately decorated with masks. Four large beds, one double, three single, sat on either side of the hut. In the centre was a highly elaborately decorated throne, covered in brightly covered leaves with rice strewn at it's feet.

Vyse gazed around uncertainty.

Tika Tika again said something to Fina, to which she flushed red before saying something so quietly Vyse could barely hear her. Tika Tika studied her for a moment before bowing and exiting through the curtain.

As soon as he was gone, Fina slumped onto the large bed, looking paler than she usually did.

"Fina? Is everything okay?" Vyse asked uncertainty.

She looked into his eyes, a pang of guilt in her expression.

"No everything is not okay," she murmured quietly, "This is not right. I am not a God, I am not even of high rank, I do not deserve this treatment."

Vyse sat down beside her, his eyes full of concern.

"I thought we had this conversation. You can't help it if they don't listen."

"But what about the King?" Fina asked desperately, looking as though she was on the brink of tears, "What if he also thinks I am Queyta? What if he finds out I am not their God and that his people thought I was? What if they do something terrible to us for lying to them? What if…"

She broke off, her voice catching in her throat.

Vyse gently slid his arm over her shoulders, comforting her quietly and soothing her gently with his voice.

"It's okay, Shh, Don't fret Fina, I'm here for you, no matter what."

Fina lent in against his chest, smiling slightly in his embrace.

"I know you will do your best Vyse," she said quietly, closing her eyes, the tension leaving her body.

She always felt so secure when with Vyse, as though he would protect her from the whole world if he could. She found herself drifting into thoughts about Vyse, the way he smiled at her, the way he was always so protective of her.

She sighed happily as she drifted. Happy to be in the arms of the best friend she had ever had.

* * *

Darkness fell over Ixa'taka. The huts below began to light up with candles within, smoke pouring out of small holes in the top.

Vyse sighed as he stared out into the night, listening carefully to the sounds of the night birds.

His mind was deep in thought though. Thoughts about Fina.

He was worried about her. She had gone to bed extremely early, and he had a feeling it wasn't for beauty sleep. As he stared out into the night a sudden squeak behind him got his attention and out of nowhere suddenly appeared Cupil.

"Can you hear me?" he asked the little silver ball.

It nodded it's head.

"No I mean can you hear me? Like back in the temple of Pyrynn?"

Cupil paused for a moment, then shook it's head.

"Didn't think so," he said with a smile, "I guess I can only hear you when Fina's in trouble huh?"

The silver animal did an impression of a shrug.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to talk to you then?" he asked.

Once more Cupil shook it's head.

Vyse smiled and promptly sat down, Cupil hovering over his head.

"Can you hear Fina's thoughts?" he asked it, "When I could hear you said you were lost with out Fina. So can you hear her when I can't?"

The Silver ball nodded.

"Do you know how I could hear you in the temple?" he asked.

Cupil shook it's head.

"Do you know anything?"

Once more a shake of the head, followed by a short flurry of squeaks that could have been a laugh.

He smirked as the Silver animal suddenly toppled out of sight from laughter.

Suddenly Vyse yawned and stretched.

He was feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"Well, I better go get some sleep," he said half heartedly to the silver ball as it rose again from below the hut, "The sooner I sleep, the sooner tomorrow comes, the sooner we find the Moon Crystal. Good night Cupil."

Cupil squeaked a reply before following him inside.

The hut was quiet, save for Drachma's constant snoring and Aika's murmuring in her sleep.

Aika kept twisting and turning in her sleep, her slim body entwined in the thin sheets.

Drachma lay on his side, his large bulk hanging precariously off the side of the bed.

Fina lay asleep on one side of her double bed, clutching the blankets close to her chest.

Vyse sighed and slow got ready for bed, stripping down to his boxers and swapping his long sleeved shirt for his short sleeved shirt that he used to wear before slipping quietly into his bed.

As he did so Fina stirred slightly and turned over to face him.

He froze, gazing at her calm face, so peaceful, so gentle, suddenly scrunched up.

As he watched, he heard her begin to mumble.

He drew closer, to try and hear what she was saying.

"Ramirez…don't hurt him…please, don't hurt him…I beg you, don't hurt him."

Her face was screwed up in pain, sweat gently sliding down her temples.

"Ramirez…this is not you…please stop…don't fight him…don't kill him…I love him."

Vyse came over and sat on the side of her bed, his face plastered with worry.

This Ramirez seemed to be familiar to her, and now he thought about it, it seemed a familiar name to him too, but from where he didn't know.

"Ramirez…what of our mission…what has become of that? Please tell me…"

She began to shift again, her eyes stinging with newborn tears.

"No, Ramirez don't…Ramirez.…RAMIREZ!!!!"

Vyse couldn't take it anymore. As gently shook Fina awake from her nightmare, as clearly she was hating it.

"Fina. Fina wake up."

Fina gasped and sat up suddenly in bed, sweat beading down her forehead.

She stared around the dark hut and then noticed Vyse was sitting on the edge of her bed, his hand on her shoulder, a look of worry on her face.

"Vyse… Oh Vyse." her bottom lip quivered. She was scared stiff it could be seen. She needed comfort, and it was sitting right in front of her.

She gently closed the gap between the two of them, grasping onto his shirt for comfort.

Vyse said nothing, he just sat there, rocking her back and forth, soothing her quietly.

She buried her face in his shoulder, letting her sorrow's float away.

He didn't ask who Ramirez was, or what the dream had been about, or who it was who she loved in the dream. He just let her sit in his arms until she felt better.

After a while she pulled back and smiled at him.

"Thank you Vyse," she said quietly, "I Appreciate your help."

He looked at her fondly before brushing a strand of hair out her face.

"It was nothing Fina, honest. Now get some rest, or you'll be fit for nothing in the morning."

She nodded and snuggled back down under the covers of her bed.

"Good night Fina,"

"Good night Vyse,"

As he walked over to his bed, she gazed off after him.

She was worried about her dream.

Ramirez had been in it, disaster and destruction all around him.

He was laughing, manically, before attempting to run a person through the heart with his sword.

But she had stopped him, just.

The person, had been Vyse.


	18. Author’s Note Discontinuation

My Dear Readers,

There's nothing I hate more when reading a fanfic then to find a Author's Note as the last chapter and that said fanfic is not complete. However, I feel I must accept that I have to write this.

Regretably, I have decided to discontinue Legends of Arcadian Skies until furthur notice. The fic itself will remain up, but no new chapters will be uploaded in the near future.  
I have several reasons for doing this.  
First off, I'll be frank: This. Fic. Sucks.  
Compared to some of my latest writing, this story is a joke, and reading over some of the earliest chapters just makes me cringe. I wrote this fic for two reasons: one, to be a sequel to Tales of the Valuan-Nasr War (Arguably one of my best earliest works) and two, because Pegasus Knight was writing an adaption.  
Pegasus Knight was the reason I began writing in the first place. Eternal Arcadia was an inspirational read for me, even before Knight rewrote it, and I wanted to write something just as good. Unfortunatly, I rushed into it, without thinking, and thus LoAS turned into something I'm not proud of at all.

Second reason: I'm just not into Skies of Arcadia as much as I used to be. As I've said before, other series like Halo and Gundam seem to take presidence over this one. As such, whenever I sit down to write soemthing, I usually find myself heading for my other fics like A Man Named John and Mobile Suit Gundam Eternal. Whenever I open LoAS, nothing new springs to mind, and if I do write something, it feels forced and rushed, and if that's what my style is going to come out as, I don't want to write at all.

Nothing would give me greater pleasure then to see this fic concluded, but I feel that, at least right now, I can't do that. I can't write anything new until that what I've already written is up to a higher standard. I have admittedly found it easier to rewrite chapters rather then write new ones for this fic, but progess is slow, and other fics get in the way.

I would like to thank all those who have ever read and reviewed this fic, Everyone who faved it, and every one who put it on story alert. My special thanks goes to Desert Lynx, who has reviewed every chapter, stuck with me and helped me get this far, and I'm so sorry that I let you down.

With any luck, I will update this agains some day, and I also hope to upload some of the more important moments from the fic sometime in the future, but until then, my deepest regrets and apoligies to all. I hope you will not look down on my for this desicion, and I hope this will not stop you from enjoying any of my present or future works.

Yours, With Regrets,

Dearing


End file.
